Still Life
by Ponella
Summary: IT IS HERE! My sequel to HtM's marvellous Ten/Master fic 'Out of Death'. May contain slash and major cuteness, rated M for certain chapter, though very family-centric. R&R please, and have fun! COMPLETED!
1. New Beginning

**Still Life**

**A/N: **I was originally going to carry on from where **hana-to-mame** left off, but I tried that and I wasn't happy with it. I may do it by putting it in as a flashback at some point, but right now I've been brainstorming for a bit and I've thought of a new beginning. Me, being able to think of a beginning to one of my fanfics? Must be a blue moon… Anyway, this is a sequel to _Out of Death_, the wonderful fanfic by HtM which was the first fanfic to ever make me cry. HtM is brilliant to be letting me make a sequel to that wonderful fic of hers. Sorry this is so late, but New Year, new regime! I'm not such a lazy arse anymore and I actually WANT to update my fics now, no matter how busy I get an how drained/dead school leaves me in the nights. I always bring my netbook to school so I'm writing this sequel fic on it. Those of you who have been waiting for this or have asked me about it (only one person besides HtM has asked about it so far, hi, **RedEyedMotorbikes**! [If you're reading]) will perhaps have an inkling of what the general plot will be. To those who are aware of the general plot, it hasn't changed in all the time I've thought about it. And to those of you who have no idea what I'm going on about or what this is, sit back and enjoy the gravy train! This is a Ten/Simm!Master fic, so those of you who aren't a big fan of that pairing or just aren't a big fan of slash in general may want to run and hide; right now. Okay, I still remember the new beginning I've recently envisioned in my head. Let's get cracking, and sorry for the super-long A/N… I get carried away with these things allot of the time. (this A/N was written on the 29th of Jan, really sorry 'bout the length of it...)

**Chapter One – New Beginning**

"We're cornered…" the Master said, a smirk gracing his lips, "And _you _wanted to take a holiday from this kind of thing!"

"Can you really blame me? We're both run ragged, I wanted to allow us some respite." the Doctor said, pouting.

"Did you really have to choose the only holiday home in this solar system that's run by the carnivorous bellhops from the planet flesh-eating travel lodge!" his mate said, dodging another bunch of claws with ease.

"_Perhaps in hindsight_ I should have checked the news broadcasts in this area, _perhaps in hindsight_ I should have brought something to fight them off, and _perhaps in hindsight_ you should have remembered to pack my hair gel for me!"

"What'd you mean? It's your hair, it's your responsibility! Can't you live without your oh-so-precious hair products for a week?"

"No! My head feels naked!"

Suddenly from above, a shout came out "Hey! Mutated scum, chew on this!" a slab of meat was flung down to the carnivores, and quickly jumped upon. Perhaps they should have noticed that the meat man had a big load of netting with him; He jumped down and, while the carnivores were all huddled up together above their supper, captured and subdued them.

Jack turned to his two squabbling friends, "What the hell is wrong with you two? You could have been eaten alive!"

"Yes, but we weren't…" the Doctor said, looking down at his shoes like his mate.

"_This time_; Think what would have happened if I hadn't found a net, or a butcher's down the road."

Four feet were shuffled nervously; four eyes still looked down ashamedly.

Jack frowned, "What's up with you two? Half the time you're arguing, the other half I never see you together anymore!"

* * *

The walk back to the TARDIS was drowned in silence, the atmosphere like silly putty; you could try to reshape it but it would just snap back into place eventually. Attempt at starting conversation would yield very little success, they all knew. One man on either side of Jack, something he'd normally love; if it was a better situation. Striding on, waiting for the famous blue police box to come into view, all three men keeping themselves to themselves for the time being.

A snap of the Doctor's fingers; the TARDIS opened her doors obediently for her pilot, sensing the conflict hanging in the air.

The entry into the vortex of time was made in silence, as was the flight. They were all aware of the loud voices of the things left unsaid, the noise of the things on their minds.

For the TARDIS, it was that she did not want her pilot to lose his mate; he surely would if they all carried on like this.

For the Doctor, it was that his mate seemed to be losing interest in him, leaving the room when he entered it, not talking to him, and when they talked they only argued. It always left him tired and confused, he didn't want a repeat of the rivalry they had once had.

For the Master, it was that it felt like his mate was pushing him away, and he didn't like it; didn't want it, hated it even. He wanted them to go back to how they were, when the words 'I love you' weren't words that very rarely left their lips, when they were happy with each other, when they laughed and loved and everything in between. When the Doctor thought like trying for adoption again wasn't a bad idea.

For Jack, it was that his two best friends were destroying their relationship, and that they has sent Matthew home temporarily to save him the absurdity of what were then the pointlessly argumentative months to come. That Matthew knew very little of the problems facing his former foster parents, despite having the right to know. The look in his eyes as he'd had to say goodbye, like he was a little boy again, at the time when they'd all found out he wasn't going to live with the Doctor and the Master because it had been discovered he had godparents. The young crying boy had grown into the young tearful man.

The silence was deafening, it was so quiet. Nobody spoke for fear of causing some kind of uproar within the confines of the console room. Time went by slowly, nobody really wanting to do anything.

"Anybody for a cuppa…? I think I'll make myself one." the Doctor, spouting a one-sided conversation for the sake of a one-sided conversation, lest the silence take any more of their sanity.

**End A/N: **Okay, I hadn't really planned to make it all angsty. But it adds to the drama! Why did I take Matt out of picture? I honestly have no idea. It's the 4th of February at around 11:30am right now, I'm working here on a terrible and I've just typed this entire chapter IN SCHOOL. I had nothing to do and didn't feel like reading or drawing, and I sneezed a few times when I started typing. And I woke up to a nosebleed this morning, so I'm not on the greatest of emotional highs – but I persevere! Sorry about this, this angsty bullcrap will hopefully slide when my cold goes away… or when I find some tissues. Either way you'll be getting lots of angst and drama, and I've recently been stressed and depressed in school so get ready for that shit to join the rest! This will not be a nice fic, will it? I might type up a nice lovely chapter at some point… I have the unfortunate ailment that translated into English means 'With cold, comes coughing fits', I don't know when those are really happening at the moment because it's just the mild stuff right now.

And right now I really need to shut up an save this. All done on my netbook!

9th of February – meant to post this after I'd finished it… goddamn school destroying my online life :(

10th of Feb – Okay, today I _am _putting this up. Because chapter two is scheduled for Valentine's Day and it's 4 days away. EDIT AFTER SCHOOL - The next chapter is already finished and is going to be in my document manager shortly, I'm really getting stuck into this fic now that I can continue with it when I'm at school (the entire thing is being done on my 3-month-old netbook). Please review, as I'd love to hear what you think. I wont keep this thing full of angst and moodiness forever! I had free time at school today and so made a wonderful Chapter 2 that contains major fluff... you have all been forewarned.


	2. Valentine's Day

**Chapter Two – Valentine's Day**

"What's so great about ol' Saint Val? Did he eradicate viruses, rescue doomed civilizations? Was he even a great lover? I mean, he had to be if this day for romance is named after him."

"I met the bloke, cheated me out of a sausage roll," the Doctor said.

"How'd he cheat you out of it? How'd you even come by the sausage roll in the first place?"

"I found it all wrapped up in my pocket, and the game was 'love poker'… he wasn't very clear on the rules, I just imagine that he loved that sausage roll."

"Nice to see you two have an easy conversation. Don't get much of that from you two these days."

"It's a story about some lovey-dovey saint supposedly nicking a meat pastry from our gallant Doctor here. I think we could find much worse things to talk about, but right now all this talk of food is making me hungry," and so the Master left the Console Room.

"Valentine's Day tomorrow…" Jack said awkwardly.

"And…?"

"_And_, have you got anything planned? If you still want to be with that crazy-ass in the kitchen, tomorrow is the perfect day to make the effort."

"I make the effort!"

"When was the last time you kissed him, or hugged him, or told him you love him? 'Cause you two ain't done any of that in a _long _while."

The Doctor looked decidedly upset. Jack was right, their relationship had virtually died. But when was he ever one to go along with death? He'd make the effort. He'd make it tomorrow.

* * *

Breakfast the next morning was eaten in silence. It was clear nobody wanted to do something about the occasion at hand. Not yet.

Everyone stayed in separate rooms for the rest of the day. The Doctor in the infirmary, the Master in the library, Jack… he was _somewhere_, although quite where we'll never know. He'll probably turn up where we can find him later.

The Doctor was leaning over a countertop with his hands clinging to the edge. A sudden feeling of unknown arms encircling him from behind had him taken aback. He quickly realized who was holding him.

"I thought you said you'd be in the library all day… and all night too, as I recall."

"I thought you said you'd be sorting out all the medical stuff in here. Guess we're both liars, seeing as you've probably been here in the same position all day."

"…It gave me time to think. I needed to think, sort my head out. You'd think I'd have done it already, with a brilliant mind like mine."

"You're not just a brilliant mind, I've always admired your arse." A gentle squeeze of said arse.

"Would I be right in saying you're flirting with me?"

"Oh, I'm hoping this is going to be very much more than flirting. Fair do's, but we are married."

"Yes, but you don't have to disrupt my work."

A marvellous pout, "Oh, but we both know that you've never been working all day today. Thinking, you said.

"Fine, you don't have to disrupt my _train of thought_."

"What were you thinking about, may I ask?"

"_You already know_, Koschei" a scowl.

"…"

A sigh, "Us; I was thinking about us… and if we still have a future."

The Master's body pressed up against his from behind, "Theta, surely my actions since I got here are some indication of the future."

"No there not, they're just an indication of you being horny. I want a future for, do you? Do you still love me?"

"An answer for an answer."

"Yes, I love you, so very much Koschei. Do you love me?"

"In all honesty, I don't know anymore. I think I do, but I'm confused. I can tell you want it to be more than just sex."

"It's always been more than _just sex _with us! Why is now any different?" another sigh, "go to your room and go to sleep. Meanwhile I'll decide whether I want to surprised you or not."

"Surprise me…?"

"Just _go_, Koschei. And go to sleep, I might be there when you wake up - _might_."

The prospect of waking up to see his lover spurred him out.

* * *

He woke 2 hours later to find an extremely grumpy Doctor sitting down cross-legged at the edge of his bed.

"I didn't say I'd be smiling."

"Why aren't you smiling?"

"I'm unsure of you. Because _you're _unsure of our relationship."

"I'm not unsure… just confused."

"Do you want a divorce?"

"What!"

"-because I'm sure we can get one! I wont halt your decision."

"I don't want a divorce!"

"Then WHAT do you want!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

"WELL LUCKY _I _DO THEN!"

And suddenly they were a tangle of wandering limbs, their mouths locked together. The Master was in bliss. The Doctor, really _kissing him _after so long! _His _Doctor, _his _Theta, _only his_.

As suddenly as it had started, it stopped, and the Doctor pulled away, "Happy Valentines Day, love."

"If I get a snog on V-Day I'd love to see what I'll get when Easter comes round. I've always had a fantasy of you dresses as a playboy bunny, laying in a sea of chocolate eggs…"

"That's doable. That's completely doable;" Another wonderful kiss.

"Right now I think one of us is doable. Who's going to be doing who?" the Master's seductive smirk showed through.

The Doctor now looked upset, "I neglected you Koschei, I neglected our relationship, so much that we nearly forgot all that we have! …I don't feel like sex right now, can we just cuddle?"

Roles reversed, and the Master had him pinned down under him. "When will you feel like it, Theta? because I've been waiting _months _for us to be together in the same bed again."

The Master lustful glare, despite the Doctor's earlier words, had him turned on. Allot.

The Master began to suck and nibble his neck, leaving him breathless. Then he pulled back, "God bless ol' Saint Val!"

The Doctor got his breath back and chuckled, "He can steal a pasty from me any time he likes!"

**A/N: **This chapter has been so fun to write, I was going to let the angst carry on for a few more chapters but I then remembered that it's Valentines Day on the 14th and that I haven't drawn anything for this holiday yet. Why not type up a chapter?

**This entire chapter has been written (typed up) on February 10****th****, because I thought ahead and didn't have anything to do at the time. This entire chapter has been written in school, and I haven't yet been told off for typing up silly things like this chapter, but I'm not in this lesson. I think I may be dead now, my brain has shorted out because of all the cuteness radiating off the pairing in this fic right now. Goodbye all! I'll try to be back within five days with a fresh chapter, and if I'm not you guys can go give me a rollocking on DeviantART!**


	3. Decision

**Chapter Three – Decision**

"I think waking up to you is the best thing to wake up to." the Master said with a light smile.

"What's the second best thing?"

"You – covered in chocolate."

"That's still me."

"Ah yes; but with something sweet for me to lick off you."

"Yep, I imagine that would be fun."

A sudden frown appeared on the Master's face.

"What is it?"

"What's what?" the Master said, not looking him in the eye.

"Koschei, you just went from flirtatious to moody in no seconds flat, you've got me worried. Answer my question."

"How are you now on the whole adoption thing?"

"I guess I did overreact a bit…" the Doctor said sheepishly.

"Yeah, just a bit. Seriously, it's your decision and I'm willing to wait."

"…I think I might be okay with it. I'm just scared we're going to get hurt again… You really bonded with Matt and then we lost him, if there's going to be a repeat of that situation I don't know how we'll end up."

"It won't be like that. Jack says he'll make sure all possible solutions to a child's unfortunate situation are fully looked at so we don't have anything like another 'saint godmother' turning up out of thin air." he [the Master] said reassuringly.

"…Okay, you've persuaded me. But if it all goes awry, on your head be it!" he said, ruffling the Master's hair.

"Doctor, I can promise you that nothing will go wrong. And if it does you can give me the forty lashes!"

"Ooh, kinky! I might just hold you that, but maybe not if something goes wrong."

"I think I'm a bad influence on you."

"Yes, and don't I know it! Think we should share the big news with Jack?"

"Perhaps we should get dressed first."

**(Entire thing typed up on 11/02/11, Posted on DeviantART on the 12th or the 13th, Posted here on 15/02/11)**


	4. Say Hello

**Chapter Four – Say hello**

"Okay, I've sorted out all the paperwork, no need to thank me."

"Skip the small talk Jack, just tell us about this kid." the Master said, scowling.

"Well, you're in good ol' familiar English territory this time, a village called Leadworth. Poor kid lost her parents to unknown causes when she was a baby, and her aunt cared for her after that."

"And…?"

"Her aunt disappeared over a year ago, we assume she ran off to start a new life without her young niece in tow. Her name's Amelia Pond. Ginger and Scottish, a combination I thought our Doctor here might like."

"Amelia Pond. Like a name in a fairy-tale," the Doctor smiled "can we see her now?"

"Yeah, just through here," Jack opened the door and let them pass "Amelia? I got you some potential parents here. You be nice to them."

An awkward silence followed, "So? I guess you're Amelia."

"Yeah, and you're both blokes."

"Yes, but we're happily married and love each other."

"Yeah, guess you're still better than any of the other interviews I've already had."

The Doctor sat cross-legged to be at eye level with her "What do you think about all of this?"

Amelia sighed, "Mr Harkness said I should said hello when I meet my new parents, but I don't see the point in formalities if they're going to be my new parents."

The Doctor grinned, "Very intelligent for someone so young, seven years old? What's that you've got in your hand?"

Amelia flinched as his hand went towards it, but then brought it forward, "It's an apple. My mother always carved smiles into them when I was a baby, apparently."

"That's nice," he smiled, "you know, Mr Harkness is an old friend of ours, and he said we can go on a day out to get acquainted. Would you like that?"

"Make a change from staying in this place all the time."

* * *

"First, we'd like to introduce you to our home." the Master said.

"It's a blue box."

The Doctor revealed a pout, "Oh, it's so much more than that. Take a peek inside."

Amelia popped her head in and then pulled it out, "What is it - smoke and mirrors?"

The Master chuckled, "Alright, something is seriously wrong, even _I _miss the old 'it's bigger on the inside' routine right now!"

A snap of the Doctor's fingers, and the doors flew wide open, "Would you like to see the rest, Amelia? Because there's so much more."

**EDIT 15/02/11 – **So, I've kept this so secret that not even **hana-to-mame **has seen it yet. I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone, to keep you all in suspense and keep you all wondering who the lucky kid was going to be. Wonder no more! It's Amelia. Those of you who might not have seen 'The Eleventh Hour' (S5 Ep1) or don't quite remember it don't know that Amelia is seven-year-old Amy. Or in this case, it's an OOC version of Amelia, and it's an OOC version because I haven't watched that episode in a while myself. So, yeah, decided to give you all chapter four on the same day as I've posted chapter three. Are any of you grateful? I've nearly finished chapter six, if any of you are wondering, that's how devoted I am to this fic. And I keep rambling! I'm turning into the Doctor! Oh, that would be cool, but I'm not. I, as a humble Whovian, can only wish and only dream, lol.

Oh, and this chapter was written on the 11th.


	5. Amazing and Marvellous

**A/N: **Whispering is in the squarey brackets [ ], thoughts are in _italics_. Mr Smith's dialogue is in **bold** :)

**Chapter Five – Amazing and Marvellous**

"It's amazing; ancient and run-down, but amazing all the same. When was the last time you had a girl's touch in this place?" Amelia said, running her hand along the corridor wall as they walked.

"It's not simply 'this place'. This wonderful ship of mine is sentient, alive. This is the TARDIS, and TARDISes were grown, not built. TARDIS stands for Time And Relative Dimension In Space."

"Amazing; you know everything and the TARDIS and yet you failed the driving test. And the exams to get to the driving test." The Master said, smirking.

"How did you get the TARDIS if you're not licensed to drive it?" Amelia said quizzically.

"He stole it."

"_Borrowed_, Master, _borrowed_. I _borrowed_ it from the repair station."

"Yes, and never returned it. You never borrowed it, you _stole _it."

"Fine, whatever, but I did it fair and square."

"Are you two always like this?"

"More or less."

Amelia inhaled nervously, "Didn't Mr Harkness say something about a day out?"

"Ah yes. First we'd like to visit another old friend of ours."

* * *

"Hello! Didn't expect to see you two so soon; and who is this?"

Amelia studied the woman with curious eyes. "You're old."

"She's called Amelia Pond, she's our potential foster child," the Doctor said to her "[very young and very cynical.]"

"Well, Amelia," Sarah-Jane said "would you like to see the attic?"

"Why the attic? Why go to the top of the house first?"

"Oh, there are some marvellous things in my attic."

* * *

"**Hello, Sarah-Jane.**"

"Hello, Mr Smith. Right, I'm going to put the kettle on."

"I'll join you," the Master said, following her out of the attic while Amelia stood there transfixed and gawping at the wondrous machine before her.

"What are you?" Amelia asked.

"**I am Mr Smith, a sentient Zygon computer. Who are you, may I ask?**"

"Amelia; Amelia Pond. What are you doing built into a chimney?"

"**I am here to protect the planet from invasion forces and near-apocalyptic events, things like those. It is how Sarah-Jane programmed me.**"

"So, you're programmed? And yet you're capable of free thought."

The Doctor enjoyed the conversation between Amelia and the Zygon immensely, because it showed she was very intelligent for one so young… and not afraid of talking alien computers, considering she'd just encountered the TARDIS moments before.

* * *

"You wouldn't have just followed me down here for the prospect of tea; there's something on your mind."

"…I need someone to talk to about it, someone who knows me and the Doctor more than Jack or Martha, and you're the perfect person."

"What's the problem?"

"I would have hoped a child would bring us closer – you know about the recent trouble we've had as a couple – but it doesn't seem to be working. He seems to want to keep his mind off the subject, even when it's staring him in the face."

"Well, you know admitting his love was one of the hardest decisions he's ever faced, adopting a pet even more so. Perhaps you should just bring out a whopper of a challenge and see his reaction."

They heard the clods of feet coming down the stairs, and the Doctor came in with Amelia in his arms, her arms around his neck, "You two make the tea yet? I couldn't smell any teabags."

They (Sarah-Jane and the Master) both looked down at the empty teacups she'd laid out, "Sorry, guess we got side-tracked chatting," and she began to sort out the tea situation.

"Chatting about what?" the Doctor narrowed his eyes jokingly, a small smile on his lips.

"Oh, what you've been up to these past few months, and I suggested you should stay for your tea," she lied, winking at the Time Lord next to her when she thought the other wasn't looking.

"Oh, that's a brilliant idea," he looked at Amelia, who had fallen asleep in his arms due to the long conversation she'd had with the Zygon. He smiled adoringly then, bringing her hair out of her face, and the Master felt a spark of hope that they really could be a family, that the Doctor wouldn't be unhappy with the idea of adoption forever. That they might have bonded, or that he had seen something in her that he valued. It meant hope, and he'd had so little of that emotion lately.

"Where's that pet of yours? To'mfa's his name, isn't it?"

"Yep, Jack's pet-sitting for us."

"You can put Amelia in Luke's room; he's only here in the holidays."

So Amelia was left to sleep, and the adults ate and conversed over platefuls of spaghetti.

Sarah-Jane left to wash up, so the two men were left alone at the table.

"What's on your mind?"

"Why does everyone always assume there's something on my mind?"

"Because there usually is,"

"…Do you still love me?"

The Doctor looked horrified, "Why would you ask such a question? I love you and always will, you know that!"

"Well I haven't quite known it the past few months, can you blame me? We've become so torn apart…"

"We _became _so torn apart, we're fine now."

"Are we? When I first suggested another try at adoption, I just needed something to fill the void that Matthew left in my hearts. Then you decided against it and let us fall apart, and I wanted it because I thought it would bring us back together, but it hasn't. I know its early days yet, but it hasn't worked and I'm worried for our future. You can't look me in the eye even now! Because you don't like to hear the truth when someone tells it to you straight, and I'm sorry but it would just destroy us more if these things weren't said."

The Master hadn't even noticed he'd zoned out during his rant, but when he zoned back in the Doctor was looking him in the eye and he was crying. He (the Doctor) grabbed him and clung to him tightly, hugging all the air out of his lungs. He sobbed and repeated "I'm sorry!" over and over amidst the rolling tears. The Master held him as he poured his hearts out, crying along with him.

"You don't have to be sorry." His face was serious, despite being damp, looking off into nowhere with pain in his eyes; pain at his love's pain. He was incredibly grateful to Sarah-Jane for keeping out of their way at that time.

"You know the food was just a ploy so we could talk. Wasn't my idea, but it worked. Jack had an idea as well, but you may not like it since I've already initiated phase one of the plan."

"And that is…?"

"Divorce. I got us a divorce."

The Doctor promptly went white as a sheet.

"Remember when you were in the infirmary and I was in the library, on Valentine's Day? I wasn't in the library. I parked us on Diligo-Ortus and told Rayray and Sraexoa we were splitting up."

"But…? Why would you do that if there was still hope?"

"So we could remarry," the man in front of him just gave him a confused look, "Remember that Simpsons episode wherein Homer worries about his marriage and so gets a divorce so they can get married with a proper wedding?" he got a nod in reply, "Well, Jack's idea was much the same. Get a divorce and then get married properly."

"We were already married properly."

"We can always remarry on Diligo-Ortus if we want to, but I was thinking that first we could be wed on a planet that you cherish even more than you ever did Gallifrey," he got a confused stare yet again, "Oh, you daft man, we're going to remarry on Earth. We might as well if we're going to adopt, make at least one thing in our fake human lives a reality."

The Doctor had the biggest beaming smile anyone had ever seen on him, and the tears he was crying were now tears of joy, "You'd do that for me?"

"Of course, I love you. And despite what I've said about Earth in the past, I don't mind it much anymore."

And they hugged, true love intertwined in its simplest form. Then, and only then, the universe shed a tear. And it was happy.

**A/N: **I hit the five chapter mark on a high-note, and I admit I nearly got a bit tearful myself whilst writing it. So, more angst, something I'm apparently good at, but a happy ending. Or it would be if this was the end of the fic, but it's not! I still have much more for you, including the unofficial ending which keeps repeating in my head, and the official ending which had yet to reveal itself but surely will within the next few days. Or maybe in the half-term holidays, which will be happening for all of next week. This chapter was started on 12/02/11 at 10:15am, and finished today on 15/02/11 at… 10:30am or somewhere around that time. Our internet stopped working when I'd only just started typing it all up on the 12th, so naturally I got upset about it so I couldn't continue typing. It started working again after about half-an-hour, but I was still terribly upset because I'd been planning to give you all chapter two a day early. I seem to always get psyched up for typing up a chapter when I've got free time at school, so I decided to complete this chapter while I still felt like it. I honestly do not know how all of the angst came back into it, I just know it was very easy to write because it all just came to me so naturally.

So, they're getting remarried. I'm super happy because I haven't written a wedding scene in a while, and because their relationship is no longer in ruins. And an Earth wedding; who will be wearing the dress…? Lol, just kidding – although I may put the Master in a kilt. Master in a kilt, anyone? Or even John Simm in a kilt, he's virtually the same guy. Anyway, hope you all enjoy the forthcoming chapter six! It'll probably consist of the preparations for the wedding, stuff like that.

EDIT 20/02/11 – It's the half-term holidays! Or winter break to those of you who live outside of the UK. I actually wrote this whilst that particular Simpsons episode was on the telly, I think :)

EDIT 24/02/11 – Sorry for this being so late everybody, I've been very busy with my drawing, BUT I can let you in on a little secret: right now I'm watching the movie _Stardust_ (because it just happened to be on nickelodeon when I got bored), and during this I have got and concocted a most brilliant idea. After this I may write a small threequel that may or may not consist of Jenny getting into a relationship with someone, because I don't think I've ever read a fanfic wherein that very thing happens. That, and it may involve a beach scene for our little mismatched Gallifreyo-Earth family. So, yeah, I've got a threequel in my head now, hope you're all looking forward to it but I'm not sure about it so I can't start writing it 'til this fic is over and I don't know when that's gonna happen. But I'm sure the threequel will go ahead.

Ahh, curse these super-long A/N's, they will be the death of me... Or more likely the deaths of all of you since you're all the ones that get to read them. So, yeah, here it is. Finally. I've nearly finished chapter 7, btw...


	6. Brilliant and Beautiful

**Chapter Six – Brilliant and Beautiful**

"I still can't believe we're doing this; getting married – on Earth! You really are full of surprises."

"Ah, but you love that about me," a cheeky grin is display

"Yes, I do. But there are other things I love about you, as I've told you many times before."

"What things?" the Master lay content in his love's arms, "What other things do you love about me?"

"You're brilliant, you're a brilliant mind. And you're beautiful, you really are," this made the Master blush like a schoolboy, and the Doctor went on, "you accept me as I am – warts and all, even though I'm capable of terrible things and have utilized that capability allot in the past. You listen to me when I ramble, hold me when I fall apart, you've stayed with me through these past months and all else I've put you through. I love everything about you, your ability to show you've changed and even your one-track mind. You're just a beautiful person to me, a brilliant and beautiful person. If I lost you I'd most probably die," the Master looked appalled, but still he went on, "and I'm sorry, but that's the truth. Life wouldn't be worth it without you."

The Master looked blankly at him for a moment, and then buried his head in the Doctor's chest, clinging to him, "I love you Theta, and don't you ever forget it. And we both know I wouldn't want you getting yourself killed if I died again, if anything's not worth anything it's that the universe loses its' greatest saviour just because of the bloke's grief. I'm not worth the grief if it'll get you killed. When I die, just mourn me, don't die yourself. Mourn me and let me live on in your memory."

The Doctor held him tightly as tears pricked his eyes, "I'll do that, Koschei. I'll do that."

* * *

"So, you guys want to get remarried on Earth? Thought the Master would have hated the idea."

"Actually, it was his idea. So, can we do it? Is it viable?" the Doctor's eyes were hopeful.

"Yeah, it's totally viable. You guys wanna use the names you had when you were going to adopt Matt?"

"Yeah, and Jack… we're thinking of adopting Amelia." He said, beaming.

"Great! Well, no long-lost relatives or godparents have turned up out of the blue as of yet, so this is actually happening? Amelia doesn't like Leadworth so you guys can settle down anywhere, but s'probably best to just stay somewhere in the UK for the time being. We've actually got a place free, a house on Bannerman Road."

"Bannerman Road. Why does that sound familiar?"

"You'll figure it out. In the meantime I have to do all the paperwork and get you to your new home."

"Thanks, Jack. We couldn't do this without you."

"Damn right you couldn't! Now, as for the matter of currency, the Mr Copper Alien Help Fund can sort you out."

"The '_Mr Copper Alien Help Fund_'? I _know _Mr Copper, he's an alien himself."

"Really?"

"Yes, and he's quite old, I'm surprised he hasn't been caught out yet. Oh well, ingenuity thrives in all species I suppose, survival in most."

* * *

He walked out the door and entranced upon the Master bonding with Amelia. _Bonding _was really the only word he could find for it, he just hoped the Master wasn't going to get his hearts broken again.

"Everything's fine, we just have to stay in the UK for the remained of her school life."

"So you're going to be my parents?" Amelia said gleefully.

"We hope so," the Master said, embracing her loosely.

* * *

"Okay, so we're living in England this time, that means that when the wedding comes round everyone can find their own transport instead of me having to pick them all up." they were going to pick up Amelia in 2 days, but still needed to plan their forthcoming remarriage. They had already picked up everything they needed and moved into their house, so those two things were all that was left to do.

"I quite fancy wearing a kilt at our wedding."

The Doctor looked up from his notes at the Master, "Why would you want to wear a kilt?"

"I've always liked the idea of one, and I've always wanted to see if the rumour about having no underwear underneath is true. I could just tell our guests who don't know I'm an alien something like 'my dad was Scottish'."

"You can wear a kilt with no underwear on our wedding night, got it?"

"Yes, mum, I'll do as I'm told mum, I'll never put a toaster in the bath again mum."

The Doctor chuckled, "said the white-bread to the wholemeal."

"What about 50/50 bread?"

"50/50 is an abomination to breads and baked goods everywhere. Or anything that's ever been in some kind of oven, if you're looking to generalize things."

"Something must be terribly wrong; it's only been you rambling before, now I'm joining in."

"Think we should go meet the neighbours?"

"What could that possibly accomplish?"

"Oh c'mon, even you have to admit you know very few people, and you need to learn to socialize."

"Oh, alright, but I still don't see the point in it. Actually, on second thought, _you _can go socialize, you and I both know you're worse than I am in that department."

"Fine, but you can come out whenever you like."

He went outside, and was greeted by a man tidying up a van. "'_Bloomin' Lovely_'?" he read off the side of the van.

The man nodded, "My wife's florist, she runs it n'all, but guess who has to do the heavy lifting?"

The Doctor chuckled, "I wouldn't ever imagine that plants and flowers are very heavy."

"They are when you're married to Gita, mate," he put the plants down and greeted him properly, "Sorry, introductions; I'm Harresh Chandra,"

"John Smith, just moved here," and he nudged his head in the direction of his house.

Gita seemed to suddenly materialize beside her husband. Or she could just be a very fast woman, the Doctor couldn't be sure, "Who's this love?"

"John Smith, just moved in across the road."

"Ah, it's Doctor, and you must be Gita," he shook her hand, "Your name came up in conversation."

"Well, if you ever need a florist, you just call _Bloomin' Lovely_!"

"I think I will. Actually, I'm going to be in need of some flowers soon, I'm engaged."

"Oh, congratulations! Who's the lucky…?"

"Bloke, and he's in the house looking after our dog. He'll come out when he's ready, he's just not the socializing type."

"Doctor!" he looked behind him to find Sarah-Jane standing there, gawping.

"Oh, so that's why the name of this road seemed familiar. Hello!" and he pulled her in for a hug, while the two behind them were especially confused.

Sarah-Jane pulled back first, "We have to catch up! Jack warned me you were moving here, by the way."

"Then why were you so shocked when you saw me?"

"Because: you're my friend who rarely turns up when and where he's supposed to."

"Fair point,"

"Thought I'd let To'mfa get some fresh air," the Master was there, one hand in his pocket while the other clasped To'mfa's leash.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd turn up; everyone seems to be popping up out of nowhere in front of me today."

To'mfa went up to the back of the van and sniffed its' contents, then proceeded to gobble up some houseplants, "No, To'mfa! Those aren't for eating!" the dog backed away from the van obediently.

"Mum, have you seen my headphones?" Luke had come out of the house, and was jumped upon by To'mfa, "Hello!" Luke said, scratching the animal behind it's' ears, "Haven't seen you in a while."

The Doctor grinned, "To'mfa, down. I'm sure the boy doesn't need his face licked off." To'mfa obediently backed off of Luke.

"Well, that tricolour dog there is To'mfa as I'm sure you're all aware by now, this gorgeous bloke here – Mark – is my hubby to be, and it's been nice meeting you all."

**A/N: **Started on the 15th, believe it or not, I can't remember when I finished it – perhaps 3 days later… It's what the properties says anyway. I got rid of the old A/N in its' entirety because it was long and pointless. I'm trying to cut down on the length of my A/N's, I really am! Oh, and I said I started chapter 9 already, but it didn't autosave. The finished edition of chapter 8 autosaved, but not what I'd done with chapter 9. It was very suspense filled too, and would have surprised and satisfied many a whovian like myself. But I persevere! Besides, it wasn't the whole thing and I've got what I typed more or less pristine in my memory.

So very sorry for the lateness of this. I've been so busy, and with the recent charger scare my priorities have been really screwed up. I found my charger, thankfully. Sorry again for the lateness, my brain is actually clear enough to put this up tonight. I'm quite tempted to put chapter 7 up tonight too… only after I've given it a last proofread, of course, as I am a stickler for correct spellings and grammar. Why do I sometimes type some typos? I've gotten so good at typing that I can just look at the screen without even looking at the keyboard (after I've familiarized myself with the keyboard, of course), and of course I make mistakes.

SUPPORT COMIC RELIEF. AND THE JAPANESE, SUPPORT THEM TOO. THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH FUCKED UNTIL THEY GET SOME REAL HELP. BUT SUPPORT COMIC RELIEF IF YOU'RE IN THE UK, IT'S A BRILLIANT CAUSE. If you support Comic Relief (or the Japanese, whatever floats your boat), I'll see if I can put chapter 7 up tonight.


	7. My Friend

**Chapter 7 – My Friend**

"So, you're Amelia?"

"Does this mean you're gonna be my big sister?"

Jenny did a double take, "An answer for an answer."

"I'm Amelia Pond."

"And I'm Jenny. I may be your big sister; it all depends of whether we're allowed to take you home or not."

"They get us to make these bracelets. Don't see the point of it, really." She handed the pink bracelet to Jenny, the blue bracelet to the Master, and the orange bracelet... the Doctor visibly paled. The Master quite visibly grinned.

"I wasn't allowed another daddy one."

"I'm the mother again."

"Again?"

"You _do _have a mothering instinct, Theta; I don't see why you shouldn't get the mummy bracelet."

Jack popped in, "You can take Amelia home today, guys."

* * *

"There's a crack in my wall."

Both men squinted at the offending shape, the Doctor finally saying "That wasn't there before."

"We can always get some sealant tomorrow."

* * *

"She seemed disturbed by that crack."

"It was just a crack, we'll fill it and she'll get over it."

"Yeah, but still…"

"What was meant by 'again'? The mother 'again'?" they were both startled to find Amelia standing behind them, hands on hips with a pout extremely evident on her face, "I have a right to know, considering you're my new parents."

"You're supposed to be in bed."

"Tell me what you're hiding and I'll be out like a light."

"You surely will, it's all quite boring."

"I can handle boring – Tell me."

* * *

The three were seated at the kitchen table, each with a mug of tea or coffee clasped in their hands.

"You know we're aliens, right?"

"Yeah…?"

Yeah well, our species – the Time Lords of the planet Gallifrey – were once at war with an emotionless, murderous species called the Daleks. Eventually both species perished in something we call 'The Time War', and only I was left to protect the universe and the order of all things. But the Daleks kept coming back, in small droves and big fleets, and no doubt they'll keep coming back as they are persistent buggers. But, a while after the war I'd discovered something: my old friend-and-enemy, who was perhaps the only of our kind who understood me and my love of travelling, had been resurrected before the end to be a warrior on the front lines. But he'd seen the death and destruction that this war had brought, and he was terrified by it. So he ran. He would surely be called a deserter of war, but you couldn't really blame him; anyone in their right mind wouldn't want to say in that hell. I ended the Time War, by sealing it all in a timelock, and of course I had no idea then that my friend had survived. But after a few years, he returned in a different time, with a new face and old age and a human body. He was human because he'd wanted to forget the war, and so sealed his Gallifreyan past in an old keepsake – a fobwatch. When we met up again in that time, he'd never met me and I didn't know him because he was a completely different person. I had no reason to be suspicious, he seemed like an ordinary [if quite intelligent] human being, but when he changed back and I realized it was him I was too late. A little while later when I managed to get back to my own time [as he'd stolen the TARDIS, you see], I found him again, but he was still as crazy as before and kept me locked up in a cage for almost a year, the rest of that year I had spent in a wheelchair. But when everything was fixed and back to how it should have been, he died from a gunshot wound just to spite me. He could have easily regenerated – we've already told you about regeneration – but he wanted to see me suffer, so he decided to die. A few years later, and he was resurrected again, and was more insane than ever. In the end we found out that his insanity, a drum beat in his head, was actually a link the Time Lords had put in his head when we were kids so they could make their way back into the universe if the need ever arose," the Doctor continued, "When they came back, they were all just as crazy as him, if not more, and when I managed to destroy the link and send them all back into the timelock, my friend's head became clear and free for the first time in his life since childhood, and he was able to see all that he'd done with his life, and since his head was now clear he was able to create his own personality, something that he'd never been able to even think about doing when he was under the control of the 'drums'. As he developed, he discovered what he could have been, and I discovered the friend I'd so dearly missed. As things progressed, our relationship became far more than platonic, but we encountered the Daleks again, and they were syphoning energy from a metal planet. We rescued their prisoners and rerouted the setup so that the Daleks themselves were powering the entire planet, and one of the prisoners was a small human boy called Matthew. He was orphaned as his entire family had been killed by aliens, so Jack had been working to get him adopted. Eventually, after we got married, we decided to adopt him, but it didn't work out; on the day we went to collect him, we'd found out that they'd found his godparents, so we weren't allowed to adopt him. I was devastated, my only daughter was in tears and my friend was distraught as we'd all bonded with him. We almost gave up on adoption after that, but… Then we met you and we couldn't be happier."

**A/N: **Allot of trial and error came out of this chapter, along with a spate of writer's block halfway through. This was originally chapter 8, but the original chapter 7 was unimportant to the storyline (it was more or less 'background noise') so I scrapped it. It's really weird, I find I'm not really two steps ahead of myself anymore, but I have a solution. Chapter 9 (which is now chapter 8 since the scrapping) Is only partway finished, because I started writing it on the day my netbook charger went missing, and the writing buzz was instantly gone when I'd discovered I couldn't find the charger. So, I ended it there for the time being, promising myself I would continue it when I could. I left it at such a brilliant little cliffhanger that I've recently made a decision. The typing I've already done of the chapter is already so brilliant and long enough to be a chapter on its' own, so why not make it one? It'll be called 'Open your mind Part 1', and it's brilliant. Hope you can all look forward to it, because you'll have to wait until I get OYMp2 sorted out, always two steps ahead of myself :D

Sorry for not putting this up last night, I ran out of time. But still support Comic Relief, please! Support it or the Master cries.

**Started on 02/03/11, continued on 04/03/11, continued again and finished on 10/03/11. POSTED 17/03/11.**


	8. Open your mind' Part One

**Chapter 8 – 'Open your mind' Part One**

"I _did _tell you to visit that old man again when I was dead, and now I'm not dead we can do it together."

The Doctor stared at him incredulously, "I though you were just joking about that bit, you've never been a big fan of humans."

"A bloke can change his mind, can't he? And anyway, we'll be able to kill two birds with one stone and invite him to our new wedding."

"Fine, but you're driving."

* * *

As the blue box materialized, it crushed a rather unfortunate flowerbed. "My crocuses! He's only gone and landed the thing on my crocuses!"

And the two men who emerged from the box, they walked into the house and filled the old man in on what had happened since they'd last seen each other.

After their discussion the Master suddenly looked anxious, "I must admit, I had an ulterior motive to coming here." he saw the Doctor's horrified expression, "Don't worry, it's nothing bad. I think I know how to bring Donna back without her dying."

Wilf looked confused, "But he said…"

"If the universe was ending he'd fumble with his keys, which I know he has because I was there. He doesn't like to think about it, and so never thinks of a solution. If he'd thought of it he wouldn't have been able to carry it out anyway."

"Why not?"

"For this he would have needed me. And now he's got me, I can carry it out and I'm sure it'll work."

"What'll work?"

"Well, I actually have two different solutions in mind, both of which contain triggering the Time Lord consciousness to come out. The first consists of that, but then we hook her up to the chameleon arc and turn her into a Time Lady, she'll still have all her own memories and personality, but she'll be able to cope with another consciousness inside her head. The other solution consists of the same first step, but we now know that I can't regenerate anymore, so I figure that taking the consciousness into my head will trigger my body to connect with all its' Time Lord functions, including regeneration. Donna won't remember much of what happened after the consciousness entered her head, but she'll certainly remember all that she's done with the Doctor and she wont die from it. I completely understand if you'd go for the second solution, she'd still be your human granddaughter after all."

The Doctor was gawping at him now, "How long have you been thinking this up?"

The Master sighed, "I know you miss her, and I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy."

"But you can't possibly know if this could work..."

"I know enough Theta, and you can't tell me you wouldn't want to bring her back if you could take my place. The fact is you can't; if we're going for the second option it has to be me, because since it's _your _consciousness she's got in her head it would just bounce off your mind because it already contains all that knowledge."

"Second option," it had been quite a while since Wilf had said anything, "go with that."

* * *

"We have to drag that consciousness and its' energy out of her, and I'm sorry but it's going to hurt."

Wilf and the Doctor hid themselves on The Hill, waiting in anticipation and fear.

Donna emerged from the door, "Donna? Donna Noble?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

The Master grimaced, but carried on, "It's your grandfather."

"Oh, what's he done this time? Froze himself up there I suppose, or maybe he's had too much tea and pasties?"

"Miss Noble, I'll hear none of that. This is serious."

"Why'd you call me 'Miss'? Do I look single to you?"

"Your relationship status is none of my concern, we have a serious matter to attend to."

Donna suddenly looked horrified, "Oh, he's really gone and done something stupid, hasn't he? Fine, I'm coming with you, but it better be nothing more than a scorching with hot tea or it'll be on both of your heads."

* * *

"Why are you crying, gramps?" she looked to the mystery man and glared daggers through him, "What's this bloke gone and done?"

"Oh, it's not him love… but I'm really sorry."

"Sorry? Why?"

"Because if this doesn't work, you'll die." and the Doctor emerged from the foliage.

Donna squinted, but she just couldn't place this new arrival, "Who're you, then?"

The Doctor frowned, "I'm the Doctor. Thought you'd remember just from seeing me, but I guess not."

"…Why am I going to die? What wont work?" Donna looked pale now, that was plain to see.

"Your brain seems to be protecting you from remembering me, I always knew you had a brilliant brain. But you always thought I was joking when I told you. Remember? Donna, you're _brilliant_."

Donna looked at him in confusion, "Look here skinny, I've no idea what you're going on about but it's starting to creep me out bigtime."

"Thought you'd have figured it out by now, seems I'm being thwarted by defences I created."

Donna decided to look behind her, "Where's he gone, and why won't anyone give me a straight answer?"

Then, there was a sudden noise in the air. Like supernovas and new planets being born and the universe and oh _time_, that wonderful noise that always sent chills of anticipation and wonder down your spine. As the _vwoorp-vwoorp _of the engines died away, a big blue 1960s police box was standing where the other man and her grandfather had been only moments before.

She hesitantly ventured a hand toward the offending object, and was surprised when it felt solid and wooden and _there_. She opened one of the blue doors, and was met with a pleasant glow and a faint humming. Standing inside were her grandfather and the two mystery men.

"Remember the TARDIS? C'mon, you gotta remember the old girl, she popped over here just to see you. _Bigger on the inside_…? Nothing? Not even a smidgen of memory?"

All from nowhere, tears sprung from Donna's eyes, "Why am I crying, and anyway what is all this? It looks like someone ate an antique shop and spat it out because the contents was so stale."

The Doctor forced a smile, "You've already said that once before."

"Really? You'd think I'd remember a place like this."

Tears now sprang up in the Doctor eyes, "You certainly should. Nobody ever forgets the TARDIS, even if they forget me."

The three men were giving up hope, thinking they must have left it too long.

"One last ditch effort, then."

* * *

Donna's eyes had the unfortunate disadvantage of being covered with a makeshift blindfold as they made their way from several corridors, "Why am I blindfolded? Where are you taking me? I better not be here to join some bloody daft cult…"

"Look, Donna can you just shut up 'til we get to where we're going? We're never going to get there at this rate."

"At the risk of sounding like a broken record, w_here are you taking me_?"

"Your room."

"My...? Oh god, this is a mental asylum! You're putting me in the nuthouse!"

"No we're not, Donna. We're here." and the Doctor opened the green door.

"Excuse me, but some of us have no vision here, and I'd really like to have mine back."

The blindfold was removed so that she could see again. "What...?"

"Each companions' room is uniquely made to fit their personality and what they like, and no room is ever destroyed."

A look of realization passed over her face, "My room on the TARDIS… _My room on the TARDIS_! On the Doctor's TARDIS!" She turned to face said Doctor.

And slapped him upside the head.

"You pillock! Look what you've done now, I remember everything – and I'm going to die from it!"

"Not necessarily. My friend here can save you without you having to forget any of this."

Donna scrutinized the Master for a moment, and then slapped him upside the head too, "_You_! You're the one who everyone turned into!"

The Master rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, "It wasn't all fun on my part; I ended up in an ill-fitting pink dress. And that is _not _how I'm going to introduce myself…" he continued nonetheless, "Donna, I can save you, but you need to open your mind to me before I can do it."

Donna looked between both Time Lords, "He's one of your lot isn't he? Well I have to applaud you on finding another beside yourself, and congratulate the two of you."

"For what?"

"For being together, of course."

The Doctor frowned, "Didn't think it was that obvious."

"Alright, go ahead, if it'll mean I can be back here again."

"Have you opened your mind?"

"You're starting to sound like my mum. If she were a mind-reading Martian."

**A/N: **Started on 10/03/11. Originally chapter 9, but became chapter 8 after the original chapter 7 was scrapped. The irony of it is, I'm growing crocuses along with daffodils in a big pot in the back garden. I have to hope that the TARDIS will land on them some day… Although it would probably be a bit tricky, considering they're in a pot.

Sorry about this being late, my netbook wont let me post the chapters here. So far I've got to chapter 20 :D I'm doing this on my mum's new laptop, because it seems to work on here.


	9. Open your mind' Part Two

**Chapter 9 – 'Open your mind' Part Two: Hugs and Brainteasers  
**

"_Alright, go ahead, if it'll mean I can be back here again."_

"_Have you opened your mind?"_

"_You're starting to sound like my mum. If she were a mind-reading martian."_

"Great, no sign of brain deterioration yet – you've still got your sense of humour."

"Just get on with it blondie, before I decide to break your wrists."

Donna's mind was a peculiar thing. Everything was shrouded in a fine psychic mist, making it hard for the Master's mind-self to move around and find what he was looking for.

It had attached itself to Donna's mind-brain; _it _being a thick glob of death that recoiled as he moved a hand out towards it. It certainly liked being latched on to Donna, but then again it _was _the Doctor and the Doctor liked Donna allot. If he could get it to latch onto himself and feed its' energy and general Time Lord-ness back into him, all would be well. Donna wouldn't die and he might get back the ability to regenerate.

He had always been hypnotic, it wasn't just the drums' doing. And he knew how to handle something latching onto a person like that, as the person used to be him. He knew how to entice the wary shape with what little he had. He gulped as it engulfed him, merely because he'd never liked the feeling of the drums claiming him and this wasn't much different. He also took all of the Doctor's information and knowledge, he'd wipe it from his own memory if the Doctor asked but he'd already knew it all before. Once he'd finished assimilating the power of the strange globule, it was no more. He'd done what he'd came to do and left, not wishing to pry into Donna's own [very personal] information.

The mind-trip had left them both haggard and knackered, and as they separated Donna slumped forth [unconscious] onto the Master and he was having a hard time keeping her upright.

He yawned, "She should wake in a few hours, and her mind will be fine."

* * *

She groaned. It felt like she'd definitely had one too many, it seemed it had all gone to her head and now she had a banging headache.

She realized she was in a man's arms. Nice familiar lanky arms, but strange unfamiliar arms nonetheless.

She tried to remember the events leading up to her current situation. She remembered the Doctor entering her head and staying there [for some reason], and then she remembered crying and backing away from him. What had he done? He certainly wasn't the type to attack an innocent woman, and he'd never hurt her when she mouthed off. What had she done? What had given him cause to confront her so menacingly that she ran from him? She then remembered why. He was going to wipe her mind of him, and she didn't want it. She'd rather be dead than be stupid old Donna again. But he did it, and she was stupid old human Donna, stuck on Earth and not knowing what she's missing. Then she remembered something else. A while later, and she was engaged. He wasn't a total arse like Lance, he was loving and somewhat reliable. Shaun something, wasn't it? Then she was married, and she was happy. But now these memories made her upset, because she remembered the Doctor and he wasn't in any of them. Before she was married but while after she was engaged, everyone seemed to have turned into a laughing blonde man. She remembered him more recently, but he wasn't laughing then. Anything but.

But the Doctor had been with him, and gramps, and then she remembered. The laughing man who wasn't laughing, he'd stopped her dying. He'd made her _herself _again instead of the DoctorDonna, and he'd saved her life.

She dared to open her eyes, but it wasn't a funny blonde who was holding her. It was mister lanky himself, and she couldn't be happier. He seemed to be staring at her in curiosity and admiration, studying her.

"Told you you're brilliant."

She rolled her eyes and hit him in the shoulder in jest, "Yes, and you never stop telling me. That boyfriend of yours did something right, then? I'll have to thank him, after I'm told who he is of course."

The Doctor smiled at her, dimples-and-all, "Donna Noble. Supertemp from Chiswick, ginger after my own hearts, and my best friend…" then he frowned, "…Were you always this inquisitive?"

"Spaceman, I've had my memory wiped – by you –, I've been grounded to my home planet for a couple of years, and now I've had my memory reimbursed by your crazy lover. I think I am owed some answers, if not the news on what's been happening with you while I've been gone."

"I swear I'm going to tell you everything that's been going on, but not right now."

"Why?"

He just squeezed her tighter in his arms.

"Oh."

**A/N: **I love writing Donna. She's far too easy to characterize, it's brilliant. And I think I was very descriptive about the mind trip. I was in school when I wrote this, and I was moving from place to place while typing so it took a long time to get this done. Not my fault, the school fete was on and the place I usually typed at was getting locked up because it was Friday and... but that's all in the past, and it's the Easter holidays for me now. I've been to Manchester and now I'm home and putting this up.

Typed up in its' entirety on 18/03/11 in school. (besides this A/N, I guess.)

Originally titled 'The Laughing Man', but… the Master isn't in this chapter much except for his mind-self and a bit of him afterwards, so I changed the title. AND I'm very happy with this chapter, now I think about it. Please review! I might put up chapter 10 today too.


	10. Windfall

**NEW SUDDEN A/N 20/04/11: **Yesterday (Tuesday 19th of April 2010) Elizabeth Sladen – the Actress who played Sarah Jane Smith in the Doctor Who TV show and her character's spin-off show – died after a long battle with cancer. I knew nothing about it until I logged onto facebook in the night and it was breaking news in one of the Doctor Who facebook groups, and even then the only information present was that she'd died. Then, this morning, mum gave me more of an explanation (aka why she'd died) and I still find it unbelievable. I did promise this chapter when I posted chapter 9, and even though it's past that date it's my duty to deliver. I ask my fellow whovians now, in memoriam, to raise your sonics. (If you don't have one, draw one or print an image of one off and raise that, I'm not fussed.)

RIP Elizabeth Sladen. Also, due to this sudden change in events, as I've not started chapter 21 yet, Sarah-Jane will die in that chapter… or she'll fall ill in that chapter and die in chapter 22, I'm not too sure yet. Still, RAISE YOUR SONICS (AND MAKESHIFT SONICS) AND READ ON.

**Chapter 10 – Windfall**

"Wow… you've certainly changed." the redhead scrutinized the building carefully, "How do I know this place isn't booby-trapped?"

"Why would it be booby-trapped?"

"You're the kind of person who lays daft traps for no reason and then lets the chaos unfold before him."

The Doctor frowned, "Hmm. I thought the Master was much more the type to do that."

"Ah, but you'll tinker with anything and try your best to make it into something else. For all I know this whole room could be full of lasers made from leftover teabags."

"Fair point."

"A house and a kid. You've certainly gone domestic."

"Eh, I'm fine with it…" and she noticed the look of adoration and pure happiness in his eyes.

"You really love him, don't you?"

"Of course I do! How could I not?"

"Doctor, he slaughtered millions, he nearly destroyed the planet! And always tried to kill you!"

"Thanks for your concern," he smiled then, "Really, thanks, I missed your concern. But he's changed and we're fine, he hasn't tried to kill me and never would. I trust him with my life and the lives of the some 60 million people on this planet."

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"I've tried to help him, and I've lost him so many times. I'm not going to jeopardize our relationship just because of everyone's close-minded old views of him."

"We have those views for a reason."

"An obsolete reason! He's fine now, the drums are gone and he's perfectly sane."

"You're hardly one to be the judge of sanity aboard this ship." they'd walked into the TARDIS earlier.

"It's _my _ship, and I'll be in a relationship with whomever I like on it."

"I see you've already forgotten about her."

He'd been turning and walking away, but now abruptly turned to face her, his face like thunder, "That could never happen. It never even did, and I've moved on. It was _cold _to bring up that, considering you know how I feel about it."

"You never even told her. Your clone did, but _you _certainly didn't."

"I couldn't bare to spend my life with someone who'd die in the next 60-or-so years and leave me to live on in pain. Better to live with someone with a similar lifespan."

"Oh, and we've hit the nail on the head! You don't want him because of love, you want him because you're the last of your kind and somehow that means something."

He was scowling now, "That's actually what he thought too. What I thought… But now we know it's nothing to do with that. It's a nice perk to the relationship, but our relationship is based on true and honest-to-goodness _love_. That's something that nobody can dispute. And anyway, you're my best friend; I thought you'd be happy for me! Everyone else has accepted it, why can't you?"

"Because!"

"Because WHAT?"

"Because you're right!"

"How am I…?"

"We _are _best friends and… I feel like I'm losing my best friend, like it's already happened and I'm not going to get you back."

The Doctor's expression softened considerably at this, and he pulled her into his arms, "You'll never lose me. What the Master and I have is love and it's special, but it can't break our friendship."

"…"

"Bigger things than great sex have tried, you know. I've always loved you – it may just be platonic love but just like mine and Koschei's it can't be broken. Thought you'd know this by now, I even let him bring you back despite the obvious risks the procedure posed. I trust him with my heart and insanity, but I trust you with my life and sanity, as well as your ability to stop me when I need stopping. I'd certainly be dead now without that."

"Okay, but you really need to tell me all that's happening with you now."

"We're getting married, here on Earth."

Donna was now gawping openly at him.

"Well, technically we're getting _re_married. We got married on the planet Diligo-Ortus a while back, after we were given honorary citizenship for saving the planets' Queen. But more recently Koschei went behind my back and got us a divorce so we could get married on Earth." he carried on, "Along with the benefits we're getting with this, I've also got my own cashflow; along with my job in Torchwood, I used to work for UNIT a long time ago when I got exiled from Gallifrey. I didn't want the pay because I was going to fix the TARDIS and get out of there, which I eventually did with what tools and materials they supplied me with. But because I didn't want it I let them manage my finances, and [considering this was decades ago] it's all accumulated to a good sum of money."

"So basically you're minted? Benefits from the adoption place, new revenue from Torchwood and old hefty revenue from UNIT?"

"I wouldn't use such a term, but yes, I guess you could say that."

"Does the Master know about this? You have to have told him – he could be like a trophy husband, and you wouldn't need to worry about paying for the wedding."

"I don't _want _him to be a trophy husband! I like him being my regular old husband."

"So you haven't told him?"

"…I've been sure to drop hints."

"You're going to have to do better than that. If you don't tell him, _I will_."

"Tell who what?" It was now that the Master came walking coincidentally in with Amelia.

"Tell _you _your fiancée is stinking rich."

"Donna!" the Doctor looked appalled at being betrayed so quickly.

"Well, let's face it, _you_ were never going to tell him."

"I was! …When the time was right…"

"Excuse me, what?"

Donna rolled her eyes, "_Your hubbie_, with the benefits, his Torchwood money and his old UNIT money, is rolling in it."

"Rolling in what?"

She rolled her eyes again, "_Money_, you dolt!"

The Master now looked at the Doctor for an explanation, having realized that he was, in fact, rolling in it as Donna said he was. "Well, Donna's essentially right. With all that I have, we wont have any money troubles for a while."

"But you're terrible with money."

"Exactly. I didn't need it at the time of my exile, and I didn't even know how to use it, so I let UNIT handle it all. They collected the interest and made some prudent investments on my behalf, and now it seems to have accumulated to allot of money – and it was quite allot from the start. With it and all we get from the other two revenues, we wont have any money troubles where the wedding expenses and raising Amelia are concerned."

"…Why didn't you tell me?"

"I only found out recently. Jack mentioned it at our first adoption hearing – when you'd taken Amelia to the loo. We did our research, contacted UNIT, pulled some strings and now it all officially belongs to me again, but I've still got a UNIT–employed financial adviser who'll handle all the small things like collecting interest and all the other things I can't really do. I was going to say something about it when I got over the shock of it, I suppose. I _was_ going to tell you if Donna hadn't just blurted it out in front of you."

"You know me, I'm a gossip and I didn't want to be a gossip with this. Best to let me just tell him straight rather than half of London knowing before he does."

"Thankyou, Donna. At least _someone _wants to keep no secrets from me." and he scowled at the Doctor, a scowl that was usually reserved for Jack when he stopped making sense or started acting like an idiot.

* * *

It was night-time, and they were in bed, once again talking about their monetary situation.

"I can't believe it…"

"I know…" The Doctor looked down at the bank statements again. It certainly _was _allot of money, and it was growing every day.

"Now we'll be able to give our little girl whatever she wants."

The Doctor frowned disapprovingly, "Wouldn't that be spoiling her?"

"She seven years old and we've only just adopted her – I think we're well within our rights to spoil her for a while."

"Well, not for long; I don't want my daughter being a spoilt brat."

"Y'know what?"

"What?"

"I called her 'our little girl' and you called her your daughter."

"Yes, because she _is_ our little girl."

"D'you think we can get her and Jenny to be bridesmaids at our wedding? I'm sure she wouldn't mind being in a dress, but what about Jenny?"

"She'll have to live with it. Now go to sleep." and the laughing man's guardian angel did watch him sleep on that night.

* * *

It was in the daytime, and they were trying to plan their wedding.

"Alright, so I'm the bride this time?" the Doctor said, looking puzzled at the various planning sheets.

"Yes, and I'm your sexy bridegroom who's going to fuck you raw on our wedding night. And we've got Donna helping us with all this when she wakes up," Donna was staying with them for a while to get acquainted and reacquainted with them, and was currently having a lie-in in the spare bedroom.

"Well, she is a woman who's been through one failed wedding and a successful one, she must know something about wedding planning."

"Alright you two, bridesmaid dresses are _my _domain." Donna came in yawning, dressed but half-awake, "Where's that scot of yours? School, is she?"

"Yeah."

"Well I'm going to need to get her measurements when she gets home then, aren't I?"

"You can get Jenny's measurements."

"Yeah, when she wakes up." the spare bedroom housed two separate beds, and Jenny was staying with them also, until after the wedding.

The Doctor held up a mini-foghorn, "The perks of being a father; you have good reason to own one of these."

Donna grinned, "Nice. Can I go use it now? She's had far too much time in that bed."

The Doctor grinned back, "Yeah, don't use it too much or you'll wake the neighbours–" he paused briefly, "Ooh, that's right! I've got neighbours now," he paused again, "Oh dear. We're going to have to socialize, aren't we?"

**A/N: **Typed up in its' entirety in school on 21/03/11. Wasn't very happy with the angst and false disapproval radiating from Donna, but we know it's all a front and she's happy for them really.

And the Doctor's rich. Not something I was originally going to put in, but I just went with whatever popped into my head. Bridesmaid dress fittings in the next chapter, perhaps peeps? I'm itching to write them, so I will. This is getting to be my longest fic ever! I'm so proud :D

EDIT 12/04/11 – Removed some typos and grammatical errors, because I felt I needed to. Also because I might be putting this up today… Already in the blog, though. Hooray for the Easter holidays! I can finally post chapters! But my inspiration has died for any new chapters. I'm hoping to resurrect it later… and get on with chapter twenty-one! So ecstatic about it, though; I'm still way ahead of myself, and I'm thinking of rewriting the wedding scene (in chapter 17, sorry) because I wrote it very short and very unexplained.


	11. Blessings

**A/N: **This chapter could be terribly controversial… Just warning you all. I'm going to try and put up allot of chapters tonight, to make up for my absence. In all reality, this chapter has been finished for a long time… written about 2 months ago, actually.

**Chapter 11 – Choke on your blessings**

Donna, Sarah Jane, Jenny and Amelia walked into the dress shop. Jenny and Amelia were there for their dress fittings, and Donna and Sarah-Jane were there because someone needed to be chaperoning them and they had no formal clothing for the occasion themselves.

"Ah, Miss Smith! Getting married for real this time, are you?" it was a sharp kick in the guts for her. Nobody knew of the trouble of 'false wedding' besides her, the Doctor and a few others.

"No, I'm going to a friends wedding but have nothing to wear to it. And these two need bridesmaid dresses."

Oh, how lovely! Is it your…?"

"Our dad's wedding."

"Well, he must be a handsome man to have fathered two such beautiful girls! The lady who holds his heart must be a very lucky woman indeed."

"They're childhood sweethearts, and there's no lady involved. Our father is marrying his best friend."

The woman at the counter seemed to choke on her own cheerfulness for a moment, "He's marrying a man?"

Donna butted in, "Well, I'm hardly going to be the bride – I'm his sister and I'm already married."

After a moment of silence, Amelia turned to Sarah-Jane and said, "I think we're being served by a homophobic person, Auntie Sarah."

* * *

"That woman had no right to be that way. She can't just refuse to serve you on the basis of the sexuality of the couple who's wedding your going to, she's never even met them!"

"Well, Jack, that's what we said, but we were still kicked out. I just hope the men haven't been kicked out of the tailors." Donna said, slumping down onto the couch, "Knew we should've just looked online… I've got all the measurements with me for no reason!"

* * *

Unlike the dress shop, in the tailors there was no tingly shop bell signalling the arrival of a customer. "And what can I do for you two gentlemen on this day? A bridegroom suit and best man suit, perhaps?"

"Ah, no. A bridegroom suit for him and a bridal suit for me." the Doctor said.

The desk clerk in the tailors was another to choke on his own cheerfulness.

"Surely you must know that gay marriage isn't an uncommon thing in this day and age?" the Master said.

The desk clerk seemed to grimace at the word 'gay', and dismissed the idea as absurd, "Gay marriage? No such thing exists in civilized society."

"Look, _mate_, it's the 21st century, it may be called a 'civil partnership' in certain countries but it exists and a wedding's a wedding. We can easily pay for our suits, so are we going to be served or are we going to have to take our business elsewhere?"

The desk clerk hit a wall. These two men said they could easily afford their suits, and who was he to judge? What they did in their free time was up to them. And this shop always said it takes _any _business.

"Come this way, gentlemen."

**A/N: **In every town in the would there's going to be someone who's a complete prude. The women were still in Ealing and went into a town shop. The blokes went into a shop on a London highstreet, and those are generally more accepting of different cultures and sexualities than small town shops are. I don't know whether this was intentional to highlight the differences between the two, but what's done is done. Or what's typed is typed, whichever… Don't worry, all the women's outfits were ordered online in the end so the girls aren't without their bridesmaid dresses. Anyone else enjoying the wedding planning phase of this fic? I certainly am, but I'm writing it. This in its' entirety was typed up on 21/03/11 in school. C'ept maybe my A/N's…


	12. To the Police!

**A/N: **Eh… controversy be damned, I'm continuing with this whole homophobia theme. It'll probably end in the next chapter…

**Chapter 12 – To the police!**

"How was your trip then?" Donna asked.

"Oh, fine. Yours?"

"Oh, ours was fine too, despite being kicked out of the dress place."

The Doctor looked appalled, "Donna, did you mouth off?"

"No, I swear, I was as good as gold," she said, holding up her hands in her defence, "It was the shop's fault. The woman at the counter is – as Amelia said – a homophobe. As soon as she found out the details – like the couple being two men – _she _was the one mouthing off."

"Oh."

"Yeah, _oh_. Jack said we should tell the police, she can't do that."

"Yes, you should inform the police. Y'know what, I'll be there too – for support, and I _am _one half of the couple you're talking about."

"I'm not so sure about this."

"Why?"

"I just keep imagining we'll end up being arrested for wasting police time."

"Donna, it was blatant discrimination based on the sexuality of two people she's never even met. I'm sure the police will be on our side."

"I hope you're right… There are much more important things than sexuality discrimination being reported on a day-to-day basis, we'll probably be waiting for hours."

"Donna, I'm sure Jack can get us seen in no time. And if that fails us, I've always got my psychic paper on me."

* * *

There'd been no need to use the psychic paper. Jack had even called ahead to explain the gist of what the complaint was about, and to get them seen by someone proper.

"Miss Noble, Doctor Smith, please sit down." The police counsellor motioned to the two empty seats on the other side of his desk. "I understand the issue you've been confronted with is of a discriminatory nature, Miss Noble."

"It's Donna, and yes, that's pretty much what it is."

"Ah, Doctor Smith, I believe the discrimination is aimed at you and your fiancée. Could you please elaborate further?"

The Doctor was rubbing his hands together nervously, "Yes… We weren't there specifically, but I was told what happened. My sisters and daughters went into a dress shop to get a fitting for their outfits for the wedding…"

"The woman at the counter was all smiles until we told her that the couple of the wedding we're going to is both men."

"I and a friend of mine thought it was best that we deal with this with the proper authorities. She had no right to do that. No matter what her views are, she can't just deny the business of the pretence of who's sharing a bed with who."

Now that the police knew about it, it seemed like Donna was finally realizing it, and it was affecting her deeply.

"Donna, could you please tell us something? We'll need to know where the shop is located."

* * *

(The morning after)

"See? Wasn't that bad, was it?"

"It was like telling your mum who _really _broke the good china."

"You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Yes, I do." and a newspaper was dropped on the kitchen table.

The headline read:

_DRESSMAKER TURNS AWAY HOMOSEXUAL BUSINESS._

The text went on to say:

_Donna Noble, 33, Sarah-Jane Smith, 59, walked into a dressmaker's with their nieces and were turned away brutally by a counter-girl. The girl, who wishes to remain anonymous, was taken in by the police for questioning, but had this to say:_

"_I didn't turn them away because they were going to the wedding of two men…!"_

_When asked why she did turn them away if it wasn't because of that, she was unable to make comment. There will be further enquiries, and the victim couple of this along with the aunts may be pulled in for further questioning._

"You see that? We may be pulled in again. See, _this _is why I didn't want to go to the police! The tabloids always find out these things somehow. And if this carries on, they'll be asking us for interviews! We're supposed to remain inconspicuous round here, and now we're on the front page!"

"Don't worry Donna, we can easily handle this."

"_You _can maybe, but I don't think I can."

"Doctor…?" The Master had come in looking very pale, and holding an identical newspaper.

The Doctor went up to him. "We'll get through this. When the time comes, we'll just have to face the masses."

"The time has already come,"

"…?"

"We're out of cereal and Amelia's getting cranky."

**A/N: **Everything's suddenly become very family orientated… And homophobia orientated. I'm just wondering if anyone's going to point out the fact that they're actually _bi_sexual. Or omnisexual, whichever… I'm pretty sure Jack's an omnisexual. John Barrowman did once refer to him as 'omnisexual', and that is fact because it was on an episode of Al Murray's Happy Hour. Now onto chapter 13! This is now officially my longest fic ever, lets hope I can make it longer!

Typed up in its' entirety on 22/03/11, c'ept the top A/N.


	13. To love a good argument

**Chapter 13 – To love a good argument**

It had been alright for what it was. Everyone was very comforting, especially towards Donna.

Too bad she'd locked herself in her room.

"C'mon, Donna! I need to take a woman with me to the florist! I'll look a right prat on my own." The Doctor had been trying to pry her bed, but to no avail.

"I'm not going out there! Those vultures'll be on me within seconds of walking out that door."

"Oh, I've said the aunts don't wish to be disturbed. Happy? I'm serious about the florist, I can go in there on my own. I'll be jumped upon by Gita, and that's probably much worse than journalists."

Eventually she gave up and went with him to the florist, after he'd reluctantly offered her his entire stash of Jammy Dodgers.

"D'you think we should get flowers that match the girls' dresses?"

"You'd have your girls matching a bunch of overgrown pansies?"

"Alright, you've made you point. But what should we get?"

"Forget-me-nots."

"Aren't they a bit small?"

"Well, they symbolize true love."

"The girls can have them in their hair then, but I'm not having tiny blue flowers as the main décor."

"They're usually TARDIS blue, you know."

"Hello!" and just like that, Gita appeared behind them.

"Ah, yes, we've come to plan the floral arrangements. We just don't know what we should have."

"Something blue." Donna said without hesitation, and they were instantly shown all the blue arrays of flowers.

Finally, Donna spotted the perfect thing.

"Tulips. They're _blue tulips_."

"Yes, TARDIS blue. And?"

"Donna, these can't possibly be of Earth origin."

"Then her suppliers are in partnership with the alien blue men, but they're inanimate and they're not trying to eat us or kill us. We're buying them."

They payed for their order, and got lunch.

"Miss Noble?"

Donna turned to face the man questioning her, "_Donna_ Noble. What of it?"

"Well, you're one of the aunts who…"

"No offence, sunshine, but I don't speak to any reporters!" and she grabbed the Doctor and ran as fast as she could out of the café.

"You said no reporters!"

"I was wrong! Oh, and you know they have no respect for people's privacy! They'll go through a person's bins if it'll mean getting the latest scoop."

"Fine, I'm in the wrong then too aren't I? I assumed they'd leave us alone if they were told to. Obviously not!"

"We left our lunch. Looks like we'll have to go home and make something ourselves."

"You can't make a decent lunch to save your life; you'd sooner implode the kettle."

"That was only once, and how was I to know that water was filled with microexplosives?"

"Well, _I'm _making our tea. I don't trust you with the microwave."

"I don't trust me with the microwave either, but that doesn't stop me. And I'll have you know I made perfectly good toast this morning."

"I see, so does 'burnt to a crisp' count as perfectly good nowadays?"

"It was just a bit well-done and it wasn't even my fault, toasters are so complicated these days…"

"Here's a hint: Read the instruction manual before use. Or would it damage your male pride so much if you had to read from a measly slip of paper?"

All of a sudden, he pulled her into his arms,

"I missed our arguments… and I missed making up too."

* * *

"How'd the flower search go?" The Master asked.

"Terrible." the Doctor replied.

"Oh, he's just moody because he thought they looked alien and I wouldn't let him scan them."

"_Did _they look alien?"

The Doctor nodded, "_Blue tulips_. I don't think it gets more otherworldly than that, and they didn't much look like tulips to me. But _she _got them anyway."

"They're TARDIS blue."

"Since when did the colour of my TARDIS become a new kind of blue?"

"Since it's been that way. What are you going to do with her at the wedding? It's an Earth wedding, we can't just have an eyesore like that in the room."

"She's not an eyesore, and she's my ship. She'll park wherever I park her."

"You two are like an old married couple. We can decide where the TARDIS goes at a later date! Right now we still have allot more important things to be dealing with. Perhaps the invitations?" the Master intervened exasperatedly.

The Doctor facepalmed, "Donna, can you help me with those?"

"I've helped you with just about everything else today."

"Will you help me or not?"

"Fine, but you've got to make a list first."

* * *

"Here's my list." and it was plopped in front of her.

Donna read the list:

_Donna Noble _(Of course) _and Wilfred Mott_

_Jenny and Amelia Smith (Bridesmaids)_

_Harresh, Gita and Rani Chandra _(neighbours, I suppose)

_Sarah-Jane Smith and Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart _(Wow, does this bloke know how snobby he sounds?) _(as well as Luke Smith if he can get here from Uni.)_

_Mickey and Martha Smith _(Are we going to be overflowing with Smiths at this wedding?)

_Jack Harkness (and he can bring a date as long as it's somewhat civilized)_

"That's all?"

"Well, I don't know all that many people, and neither does the Master. We were thinking this would just be a small wedding."

"Fine, but it's still a flashy wedding."

"Why? Nobody needs to know how well off I am."

"You wanted my help with planning this wedding, so you're going to have to accept my demands or I hop it back to Chiswick."

He sighed, "Fine, Donna, but it's still going to be small."

"You forgot to write the monarchy of Diligo-Ortus on this list."

"Oh, yes! I guess I was just thinking at the time that everyone could find their own transport, and so didn't think of RayRay and Sraexoa who can't. I'm going to have to make a trip to another planet on my special day, aren't I? I was looking forward to not having to be a taxi service like last time."

"It's only one trip to and from the planet, stop whinging."

He smiled, "See? I missed our arguments. You always give as good as you get."

"If I didn't I'd never win."

**A/N: **Right now I seem to be making it up as I go along. But I'm getting to the wedding itself, don't worry… it could even appear in the next chapter.

Typed up in its' entirety on 22/03/11. Typos fixed on 03/05/11.


	14. Hold the Wedding Bells' Part One

**Chapter Fourteen – 'Hold the wedding bells!' Part One**

Donna was in her element, directing everyone this way and that. She wanted everything to be perfect for the reception, which she was in charge of.

The Doctor, meanwhile, was in a pickle.

"Jack, d'you think you could help me?" the Doctor motioned to his collar, which Jack took as an invitation to nibble his neck.

"JACK!" the Doctor shouted, backing away and blushing furiously, "I'm getting married today to the man I love! You can't do this!"

Jack frowned, "I'm sorry… I was never going to get the same opportunity again after this."

"You never even had a chance to start with."

"Hey, a guy can dream."

Those words left the Doctor with the horrible notion that Jack fantasized about them having… _intimate physical relations_. The kind that he and the Master had. A shudder passed through his body.

"Jack, I'm already feeling 'nervous sick', I don't need you adding to that with 'disgusted sick'."

Jack put an arm around his shoulders, "Calm down. I know it's your wedding day, you've got nothing to worry about."

"Of course I've got something to worry about; this is the happiest day of my life. Something always goes wrong when I'm happy…"

"Okay, so you've got no luck. That isn't going to affect this wedding."

Jenny took this moment to walk in.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"UNIT called. They haven't heard from or seen Martha in a few weeks, and she usually gives them information once or twice a week. And when we sent her the RSVP, there was no reply and still isn't."

The Doctor turned to Jack, "See? Happiest day of my life. Something was bound to go wrong, and it most definitely has."

* * *

The TARDIS landed in Sarah-Jane's attic,

"Oh, Doctor! I was just about to get the car."

"No need, I'm here now. But while we're here can you ask Mr Smith to ascertain the whereabouts of another of the guests?"

"Sure, what's the problem?"

"Martha. We think she may have been taken by someone or something."

"Oh, let me see. _Mr Smith, we need you!_"

A barrage of mist and noise signalled the machine's awakening, "**Hello, Sarah-Jane.**"

"Yes, Mr Smith, can you pinpoint the exact whereabouts of Martha Jones?"

"**I'll need a DNA sample.**"

The Doctor pulled a hairy comb out from his jacket pocket, "She said to have this on me if she ever went missing." he placed the comb on the glass sample tray that Mr Smith had got out.

"**Verified: Dr Martha Jones.**"

"Great, where is she?"

"**She cannot be found.**"

"What?"

"**She cannot be found… on Earth, she is off-world.**"

"Where?" the Doctor was really worried now.

"**In the middle of a Sontaran captivity ship orbiting Earth.**"

The Doctor now looked confused, "They wouldn't just… they wouldn't just try to clone her again after their first attempt failed. I'd still notice! I'll certainly notice now. Mr Smith, can you give us the exact coordinates of the captivity ship in orbit?"

"I'm coming with you! And you can't stop me." this was Sarah-Jane's argument.

"Fine, I've got the coordinates. Jack, Sarah-Jane, we could be potentially stepping into the unknown…"

"How'd you know that?"

The Doctor grinned, "I don't – that's why it's called the unknown. Now are we going to rescue Martha or not?"

* * *

What they materialized in was not what they were expecting. It was certainly a captivity ship with lots of cells, but where were all the prisoners and captives inside them?

"Why don't they notice us? We're in plain sight!" Jack whispered, edging along the wall with the other two.

"It's possible that the batch of clones these clones came from was stupid, and therefore they themselves are stupid." the Doctor said, also wondering why this was but trying to come up with a reason.

"Look, let's just get Martha and get out of here. We've all got a wedding to go to and I don't want to be here any longer than I have to!" Sarah-Jane whispered.

"But you said…"

"_I know what I said_. But that was before I remembered the species in charge of all this…"

They were out of sight now, and could walk normally through the corridors.

That was, until a dark blur bashed into the Doctor.

"Doctor!" It was clearly Martha's voice, and Martha's body.

"How did you escape?"

"I tried and… I see you remembered the comb."

"Yes, but did they tell you why you're here?"

"Oh, I don't know…" she suddenly pulled a gun out of somewhere and nowhere,

"…Something about me having to capture you?"

**A/N: **Don't worry, there will be another surprise shortly… I'm full of 'em. Right now I'm off to lunch… I'm in school and so far all I've been doing today is typing up chapters and going to my French lessons. Typed up in its' entirety on 22/03/11. CLIFFHANGER TIME! :D I love writing cliffhangers.


	15. Hold the Wedding Bells' Part Two

**A/N: **Ooh, chapter 15! I didn't think I'd get to chapter 5 without bricking it. Now let's get back to Clone Martha and the gang…

**Chapter Fifteen – 'Hold the wedding bells!' Part Two**

"_I tried and… I see you remembered the comb."_

"_Yes, but did they tell you why you're here?"_

"_Oh, I don't know…" she suddenly pulled a gun out of somewhere and nowhere,_

"…_Something about me having to capture you?"_

"You're not Martha…"

"No shit, Sherlock. Now back away or there'll be serious amount of bloodshed."

A Sontaran Clone, when about to kill, wouldn't give you a different option. "Why should we?"

"Just _do it_."

So the Doctor and Jack backed away, but encountered a problem.

"Sarah-Jane, why haven't you–"

He [the Doctor] could now definitely feel the distinct shape of a gun pressed against his side.

"I feel like I've done two plus two and made infinity," he rolled his eyes "I was right! The Sontarans wouldn't just send out an operative that had already failed in its' duties," He turned to Sarah-Jane, "It would make it bait for the enemy, and create a clone of another of the enemy's allies and send it out _months _before the enemy came so that not even he would notice. I'm the enemy and you're the clone of the other ally. Am I correct?"

The clone Sarah-Jane grinned, "It was so perfect, even the Zygon computer was none the wiser. And _you_, you didn't even have an inkling. I integrated myself into this female's life and mannerisms, and I didn't fail. You're right where we want you."

"Oh, really? Huh."

"What is it?" the clone Sarah-Jane snapped.

"Well, who do you think told us Martha was missing?"

"That Zygon computer, of course."

"Oh, we already knew before that or we wouldn't have asked him to prove it. Do you want to know who told us in the first place?"

The clone smirked evilly, "Go on then. I'll humour you before I kill you."

"I'll give you a hint; She's allot like me. She doesn't do what she's told, a _great _stowaway, and…" he grinned at the clone, "…she's pretty good at martial arts."

"HYA!"

*THWACK*

* * *

"I told you to stay on Earth."

"You're right; I am allot like you. I couldn't stand idly by while my father faces certain death. The Master would've been widowed before he was married."

"Yeah… well, you're here now – You can help us find where your aunties are being held. These two'll be soon waking up."

"Hey Doc, how're we gonna find them now?" Jack asked.

He held up a tracking device, "They let me put trackers on them a while back."

"Then why'd we go to Mr Smith to find Martha?"

The Doctor pouted, "It _was _a while back. I'd completely forgotten about it until now."

Jack rolled his eyes, "Y'know, for a genius you really can be stupid."

"You're not the first person to say that to me."

"And I wont be the last. Wind up that tracking doohicky of yours and let's get going."

* * *

"I…"

"You're okay now."

"Sontarans…"

"I know, just bear with me."

Sarah-Jane was the first to be out of her chair.

Jack, meanwhile, was freeing Martha.

"Hey Nightingale, thought you weren't gonna let this happen again."

"Oh, shut up you…" She was quite dazed from her second time being cloned.

"No, _you _shut up, I'm doing you a favour and getting you out here."

"How did I…"

"That doesn't matter; we're getting you home. Back to Earth."

"Oh, that's nice…"

"Doctor!" Jack called him over, "She's not very responsive."

"This is her second time; she won't be."

There was a sudden banging, like someone trying to break in. Dents were even forming in the bulkhead door…

"Sontarans?" Sarah-Jane asked.

The Doctor squinted at the ever-growing dents, "No. The indentations being made are too small and controlled to be made by anything like a Sontaran."

"Then what the heck is it!" Jack exclaimed with a half-conscious Martha in his arms.

And with one last horrendous blast, the bulkhead door was blown off its' hinges.

As the mist conjured up by the explosion cleared, they saw two definite shapes through it.

The two clones were holding up bazooka-like weapons, and grinning evilly from ear to ear.

"You will come with us."

**A/N: **I'm writing far too many cliffhangers. And I had to rewrite the ending of this chapter because the original ending was just too weird for even my tastes. So, yeah… onto chapter 16 – which is 'Hold the wedding bells!' Part Three. Fun times!

**EDIT 09/05/11 **- Currently in school with nothing to do, so… yeah, I'm putting up another chapter. I don't want my readers waiting in suspense too long!


	16. Hold the Wedding Bells' Part Three

**A/N: **So… this is the third [and probably last] part of this little mini-plot. Enjoy! I was very upset when nobody reviewed chapter 15 which I decided to put up when I had free time at school, so I'll just assume that the website has cocked up and didn't notify everyone AGAIN. Last time it took me putting up 4 chapters to get it to work again, now hopefully it'll only take one chapter this time… because if none of you get notified again I'm going to have some serious words with the website staff. Do you people know how far I've gotten now? I'M UP TO CHAPTER 27. That's how dedicated I am to this fic, I'm nearly at the big 30! (Although in all reality chapters 25 and 26 will be the ones to read… NO SPOILERS WILL BE SAID, PEEPS, S'ALL VERY HUSH-HUSH IN MY DOCUMENTS.) Still, enjoy! And please try to read chapter 15 before you read this one, because I know none of you have read it and it's not your fault.

**Chapter 16 – 'Hold the wedding bells!' Part Three**

They were in a peculiar cell, facing certain death.

"I can't believe this. The only time I'm best man at a wedding, and we're late for the ceremony – and about the be killed!" Jack exclaimed, folding his arms indignantly

"It could be worse." Jenny replied.

"How could it be worse?"

"We could have been sentenced to being eaten alive. At least now our deaths will be quick and moderately painless."

The Doctor was deathly quiet, like how he'd been on Satellite Five when he'd thought Rose had been killed. Only this time they didn't know if he was just being quiet for the sake of being quiet – or if the cogs of his brilliant mind were working away in silence, trying to figure out their escape. They could only hope it was the latter.

"He'll think I didn't want to get remarried, that I'd chickened out. Then I'll still be missing and he'll wonder where I've _really _gone, and when he finds out he'll want revenge." it was now he decided to speak.

"Doc, it wont be like that… he knows you're here trying to rescue your friend. He'll understand."

"Then if he knows he'll come looking for me, but by that time they'll have already killed me. Killed us all."

"C'mon Doc, you'll regenerate and I'm immortal. We'll be fine."

"Yes, but Jenny can't regenerate – Amelia's going to lose her new big sister."

"It wont be anything like that," Jenny said, "I'm much too determined not to die. I get that from my dad," she smiled at him reassuringly.

"Then you'll have also inherited my fantastic ability to get myself killed."

"Why so negative?" Jack asked him.

The Doctor finally raised himself up, and raised his voice with it, "I'll tell you why. I was getting married today, it was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. And now I'm stuck in a dank cell awaiting the chopping block. And I'll never even get to say goodbye to him."

There was the sound of a coffufle outside, and then the distinct sound of gravely voices, the most prominent going "BO SKO NO HO! T'HO RO JO."

The Doctor and Jack exchanged a glance, "Judoon? Now I've seen everything – today."

The door of their cell was blown off it its' hinges, and the rhino-faces themselves appeared through the resulting hole.

"Ah, thanks for that. Do you perhaps know where my TARDIS is?"

The head Judoon had held a translator out in front of him throughout this, and finally assimilated the language, "Species: Unknown – humanoid. Language designated: Earth English." and it put the translator back into its' belt.

The head Judoon spoke again. "You are the Doctor?"

"Yes…"

"You will come with us."

"No offence, but I've already followed allot of people with weapons today. D'you mind if I don't? I'm all followed out. But if you happen to know the whereabouts of my ship…" he was startled when the Judoon grabbed him by the back of his suit and brought him face level with him.

"_You will come with us._"

* * *

"Your highnesses!" the Doctor exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear, "Is this a rescue?"

"Yes! We were on our way to Earth for your wedding – the Master told us of the date earlier today – and we noticed this captivity ship in orbit. We put two and two together, and hired the Judoon for a rescue mission!" the Queen said, seeming quite pleased with herself at her explanation, "Anything to return the favour."

"Oh, but we didn't rescue you that time; you were already safe."

"Yes, but you rescued the people the daleks _had _managed to successfully capture. This was the least we could do." the King said, "And don't worry, your vessel is safe."

"Can you get us back to Earth? I don't quite know where we are at the moment…" the Doctor admitted sheepishly.

**A/N: **The return of Sraexoa and RayRay, because I'd promised myself they'd make a comeback or two throughout this fic. I wondered too late if it might look strange to everyone at the wedding if two purple-skinned orange-haired little people turned up… Oh well. It's something they all have to find out sometime.

And this chapter is very short and I only noticed it. Well, it's very short compared to how long my chapters usually are… And why do I keep forgetting to write some parts for To'mfa? I'm going to have to put him in some of the next chapters I write, aren't I? Fun! (I'm not being sarcastic, I'm actually looking forward to writing about an alien dog.)


	17. Wedding Bells Chiming

**A/N: **The iconic chapter 17… I'm hoping it'll be iconic, I don't quite know how the wedding will pan out yet.

**Chapter 17 – Wedding Bells Chiming **

"He'll be fine. He's got out of worse."

"I'd like to believe you at this moment Donna, but I just can't help but worry. Half the guests haven't arrived and we're already running late!"

"Oh, _calm down_. The worse that could've happened is them getting caught, and your fiancée can quite easily get out of any cell. Have some faith in him."

"I _do _have faith in him and always will, but he went off an hour ago and we don't know what could've happened."

* * *

"Thanks for the lift!" the Doctor yelled up at the enormous Judoon ship as it made its' leave from the planet's terrain.

"Doctor!" he turned to Martha's call, "I'm in a very revealing hospital-type gown here!"

"Oh, you can find something in the TARDIS wardrobes!" He yelled back over the noise of ship engines.

* * *

The Master was startled out of his spiralling anxiety when Donna ran up to him and said, "They're back!"

"Really? What happened?" He asked, now sitting up and all ears.

"Oh, Martha was cloned again and Sarah-Jane was cloned too a while back, apparently. None of us even noticed because she'd had time to fit into the role and virtually _become _Sarah-Jane."

The Master was speechless, "I… how long was the clone around? I could have gotten that advice from that imposter, made tea with her!" he nearly choked on his words, "Oh god. We didn't even know. We know her and see her and we didn't know, we live on the same road for Rassilon's sake!"

Donna tried to calm him down, "Shh, nobody could have known, you've no fault in this."

"The probic vent. We could have noticed that and we didn't! We could have had it sorted by now…"

"Haven't you been listening to a word I've said? Nobody could have known, not even two intelligent Time Lords! END. OF."

"Donna's right."

The Master turned and saw, "Martha!" he ran up and pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug, and she was quite taken aback.

"Whoa, what's brought this on? Not that I don't mind this side of you, but…"

The Master pulled back slightly, "We could have done something. We could have known that you were missing if we'd just called you, even if we couldn't have known about Sarah-Jane, and I'm sorry."

She was quite taken aback by this as well.

"Well… okay."

He pulled back from her, "You don't think I'm still that old maniac who tortured your family, do you?"

"Well, the hug was a bit sudden and out of the blue."

* * *

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue."

"What's that then?" the Doctor said, looking down at Amelia while he fiddled with his shirt collar.

"It's a wedding rhyme, a tradition. The bride is supposed to wear [or just have to hand] something borrowed, something new, something borrowed and something blue."

"Oh… What do I have that's borrowed?"

Amelia frowned thoughtfully, "You've got the TARDIS."

"Ah, yes! I'm glad you didn't tell me I stole it like your dad always does. Does the TARDIS count?"

"…Probably not."

He looked down at his now-pristine bowtie, "Well, I borrowed this bowtie from Jack. I've got one in the TARDIS somewhere but it chafes allot."

"Well then, there's your 'something borrowed'. What about something new?"

He looked down at his body, "This suit is new."

"Fine, but that one's a given. What do you have that's old?"

He looked deep in thought for a moment, "…Myself? I am 900 years plus right now."

She rolled her eyes, "It can't be _you_, it has to be something you've _got on you_."

He pulled something out of his jacket pocket, "What about this?"

She knew what it was, "Why do you keep this old fobwatch on you?"

"To serve as a reminder of how he was, and how he's so much better now."

"Okay, but I don't think he'll see it that way… Something blue?"

"The TARDIS is blue."

"Yes, and it's a lovely blue, but you still can't have it as one of these things."

He pouted at her and put his hands on his hips, "Surely a man of 900 years plus shouldn't get bossed around by a 7 year old Scottish girl?"

"Think of something blue."

He pulled something out of his trouser pocket, "I've got my old blue-tipped sonic with me. For some reason. Does this count?"

"…It might as well, we're not going to find anything else that's blue any time soon."

Wilf walked through the door, "Alright, let's get going."

"Wilf, wait!" the Doctor said, causing both Wilf and Amelia to look at him funny, "I'll need someone to walk me down the aisle, and…" he held his hand out to him, "…in my mind there's nobody I'd like better."

Wilf was, of course, now in a state of speechlessness.

"All my original parentage are long dead, and I _did _tell you on that Vinvocci ship that I'dve been proud if you were my dad. Think of this as something of a halfway point."

* * *

"He'll have asked him by now."

"Asked who what?" Donna said, looking up from her plans.

"He'll have asked Wilf to walk him down the aisle."

Donna's jaw dropped, "Why my grandfather?"

"You weren't there on the Vinvocci ship, Donna; they started a conversation and it led to the Doctor saying 'I'd be proud if you were my dad.' to him. That's still true, and we've talked about it. We didn't think there was anyone better to walk him down the aisle on the happiest day of his life."

"Is it the happiest day of _your_ life?"

"What?"

"You said '_his life_', not '_our lives_'. It's a simple question."

"…It'll be the happiest day of my life when it goes off without a hitch. For now my happiest day is the day he was able to tell me he loves me, and the day he agreed to this remarriage."

"…It'll be fine. You both deserve that much."

* * *

The traditional wedding march started up, and the Doctor and Wilf appeared and started walking up the aisle.

The whole of Ealing was allowed the go to the wedding, and they'd turned up in their droves to have a good gossip and to speculate about these new people.

As Wilf gave the Doctor over to the Master, the two Time Lords were contented as they looked into each other's eyes.

"We stand in the sight of God and the congregation to bind these two souls. Let nothing divide them, and let nothing tear them asunder. They've prepared their own vows," the vicar motioned for the vows to be said.

The Master had written his down, and brought them out of his pocket,

"John,

You are my rock. You are entirely faithful, you're a good listener [and a good talker too!] and you know just what to say to cheer me up when I'm blue. You, in not so many words, are my soulmate, and despite what it's taken us to get here I know we'll keep going – together."

The Doctor had tears building up in his eyes, and they were threatening to spill over. He grabbed his vows from his jacket pocket, and started reading,

"Mark,

We've been friends since childhood, and then rivals in the following years, and yet here we are. Funny how the universe works, ain't it? But then of course, we both know that. I love you with all my heart and always will, and if by some unfortunate circumstances I'd surely die – you know I've never agreed with the toaster and I'm sure it'll be the thing to get me in the end - I wouldn't want you to mourn me for too long, which I'm sure you know. I trust you entirely with my life, and I know you probably still disbelieve that but it's the plain truth. You've given me purpose, you've given me a family and a renewed sense of life. I can't thank you enough for that, and I know you don't see it as something to be thanked for but I'll keep thanking you for it until I've thanked you so many times you'll eventually hate the gesture. I can't begin to think of what my life would've been like if we'd never got together, and I don't want to. Our life is perfect as it is, and I wouldn't want it any other way."

The Master put his hands on the Doctor's and smiled, as a sign that he understood.

"Now the traditional vows. Repeat after me…"

"_I, John David Smith, do take thee, Mark Theo Druff, to be my lawfully wedded partner, in sickness and in health, in poorness and in fairness, and promise to be with you, be true to you and cherish you, for as long as we both shall _live." the Doctor said, grinning through the tears.

"And now, Mark, these vows with the names switched."

"_I, Mark Theo Druff, do take thee, John David Smith , to be my lawfully wedded partner, in sickness and in health, in poorness and in fairness, and promise to be with you, be true to you and cherish you, for as long as we both shall live_." the Master grinned, also crying tears of happiness.

"And now the giving of the rings."

Luke, who had managed to make it up from Oxford, was the ringbearer.

The Doctor picked up the ring he was meant to give to the Master, "With this ring…" the Doctor began.

* * *

"Congratulations!" Martha said to them, now correctly clothed, "To the _both _of you." she added.

"Thanks, Martha," the Doctor said, pulling her in for a hug that wasn't nearly as bone-crushing as the Master's earlier hug had been.

"I…" Sarah-Jane began, but found she could not continue.

"You had no way of telling us, it wasn't your fault." he said, pulling her in for a hug also.

"Yes, but it was _me _they cloned. It was _my _memories the clone had, I could have taken charge."

"You're completely innocent in all this, and _no_, you couldn't have taken charge and you know it."

They spoke to the rest of their guests, as well as what seemed to be the whole of Ealing.

"You wanted us to socialize. I think this is the most socializing we've ever done between us!" the Master said, finally having managed to get away from the last nosy parker.

"I'm just glad you're not being a grump."

"How could I be a grump, today of all days?" the Master said, wrapping his arms around the Doctor's neck, "this is my wedding day, the happiest day of my life! And…" he spoke next into his ear huskily, "We've still got our wedding night." then he felt the definite bulge of the Doctor's erection through their trousers.

They both turned their heads down to see Amelia in her sky-blue bridesmaid dress looking very pouty.

"I can't get to the cake!"

The Master smiled, picked her up and put her on his shoulders, "Ready?"

She tried to look down out him but her red locks got in the way, "Yeah!" she said, brushing her hair out of her face whilst giggling.

"Super Dad away!"

The Doctor watched as the Master ran to the tables with their little girl atop his stature, and he was content.

The universe shed another tear, and it was even happier than the first.

**A/N: **This comes to about 4 pages in OpenOffice… I was actually wondering whether I was going to ruin it for them or not, but in the end I just gave them a nice romantic ceremony that anyone would love. It's really terribly cute, so much it gives you cancer… so if you get cancer after reading this, it's probably my fault. And Wilf walked the Doctor down the aisle! At one point through writing this chapter, I suddenly though 'Who's gonna walk him down the aisle!' and then it hit me; the first character to pop in my head as a solution to this dilemma was Wilf. Bernard Cribbins all the way, lol. And I only know of the actor's name because my mum does. Go figure.

Typed up in its' entirety on 25/03/11, posted on 20/05/11. Were any of you emotional during reading this? I certainly was while writing it.


	18. Good Behaviour

**A/N: **D'aww... I just can't get over the whole wedding scene. I'm not very good at writing weddings, but I tried my best. Here's a lovely chapter 18 for you all, and I promise I'll get to the real plot eventually. I'm really exceeding myself here, 18 chapters? I'm just expecting the writers block to crop up any moment… This chapter might be rated M. I've been wanting to write an Doctor/Master sex scene for a while now, so… if that's how this fic goes then it's just how it goes. For tonight (20/05/11) I'm putting up chapters 17-20, because I feel like it and I think you guys are forgetting this fic a bit. If any of you are wondering, I've just started chapter 28.

**Chapter 18 – Good Behaviour**

They had danced and been congratulated many times over, but now was their time to leave for home.

The Master had been enticing him all night, whispering dirty things into his ears and rubbing up against his body sensuously. The Doctor had discovered that after a while he couldn't wait, he needed his mate's flesh on his, and so had managed to get them out of the reception with some sort of excuse.

His eyes had darkened with lust, and his trousers displayed a very prominent bulge. To say the Master was pleased with his work is a bit of an understatement. They managed to get to the TARDIS, but not before the Doctor had a question,

"Wait, what about the girls? And Donna?"

"Jack's taken care of it all."

"Oh."

"Yes, _oh_. Now," he wrapped his arms around the Doctor's neck again, "Are we going to shag in the TARDIS, or are we going to sanctify our new marriage within the confines of our house?"

"Oh, the second one, definitely."

"Okay."

So he pulled the Doctor into the TARDIS, and pinned him against the interior doors, pressing their bodies together and kissing him with a hunger.

"I thought–"

"Well we can hardly leave the old girl here, and by TARDIS _is _the fastest way to travel."

"But I need you _now_…"

"Tough luck. You opted for the latter option and we're sticking with it. And you say _I_ have a one-track mind!"

"_Now_… _please_."

"Ooh, are you begging? I'll tell you this: if you're a good boy, I might just be persuaded to suck you off when we get there. If you're a greedy brat, I'll ram your ass without any lube. Got it?"

The Doctor pouted, but nodded.

"Good. Now we're going home."

The Master hadn't been this dominant with him in a while, and despite his fear he (the Doctor) just wanted him more.

He flew them into the time vortex, much to the Doctor's confusion.

"Why the time vortex?"

The Master grinned devilishly and sidled up to him, pulling him in by his tie for a ferocious kiss, "So we've got more time to ourselves," he smirked through the kiss, "and because I've always had a special fantasy…"

The Doctor grinned now, "What kind of special fantasy?"

"Oh, just… fucking you up against the TARDIS console. It's nothing really, and I'm sure the TARDIS wouldn't be all that happy about it…"

The Doctor turned the Master's head up to face him, "We can do that. But not right now – this has to be special."

"You've changed your tune – what happened to all the begging? I liked the begging."

"I've mellowed out allot over the course of a few minutes."

"…I wont ask how." he flew them next to their house.

As they walked to the door to their bedroom, the Master stopped them there.

"What is it?"

He saw the Master look at him with unabashed love, and knew it could mean only one thing.

"Well, I _am _the bride; go ahead."

And so, the Master lifted his lover up in his arms, and carried him over the threshold.

The Master grinned, "Wasn't that hard, was it?"

"I was expecting to hit my head on the doorframe, but this is just fine." the Doctor replied dreamily, "Now you can do what you like, as you seem to be so sure of yourself."

There was a flash of unsure feeling in the Master's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a dirty smirk; the invitation of free reign pleased him greatly.

He lay them on the bed, being sure to rub his erection against the Doctor's with every passing moment, making his lover mewl in pleasure. "You like that?" and he withdrew his body from the Doctor's, making him groan at the loss.

"That's for the smart remark."

"Are you…"

The Master held a hand up to silence him, "I'm thinking about it."

"What are you thinking?"

The Master put on a thoughtful look, and then pretended to lose it, "I'm thinking it's about time we get all these clothes off."

"You read my mind."

"I hope so, if it was someone else's mind I'd be very worried." his hands went first to the Doctor's suit, peeling it off with pride. Then to his shirt, pulling it out of his trousers and unbuttoning it successfully, then pulling it off with a flourish. Then at last he went to his trousers, unbuttoning them and getting up to pull them off darkly. He now saw the Doctor's boxers, an _extremely _prominent bulge now apparent in the cloth.

"Take them off." it wasn't a plea or a request. It was an order.

The Master delighted in this, shedding the Doctor of his last article of clothing [his socks and shoes having been discarded earlier]. He smiled surreptitiously when the Doctor's arousal bobbed up, hard and proud from its' confines.

"What're you going to do?" the Doctor hoped his 'smart remark' hadn't earnt him something bad.

He felt cold lips close over his manhood, and his hips jerked involuntarily.

He ground out a strangled "Yes…" and a "Don't stop…", pleased that his good behaviour had been rewarded.

A hot breath ghosted over him, and he moaned.

His good behaviour had certainly been rewarded.

**A/N: **I was actually going to type more, but I've decided to end it here. Does this count as M-rated? I have no idea, it probably does. I'm getting very good at M-rated scenes… which is cool. I got writers block halfway through this chapter, which was stupid because it usually takes me a long time to get over writers block. I'm getting a better recovery time every time! And I kept thinking I'd finished chapter 18 so I could start chapter 19… I didn't, but I now know there's such a thing as being _too _ahead of yourself.

If this counts as M-rated and more than one person says it does, I'm totally changing the rating. Why can't there be a T plus? There's a K plus…


	19. Snot Green

**A/N: **It's super happy funtime chapter 19! because I felt like it. Time to type up the calm before the storm!

**Chapter 19 – Snot Green**

"You two have a fun night last night?" Jack asked, grinning knowingly.

The Doctor grinned back, "Yeah. Thanks for taking care of everything…"

"Don't mention it; just think of it as me doing my best man duties."

"I didn't think 'best man duties' involved finding a babysitter and getting my friend out of the house."

"They'll always involve those things in your life, Doctor."

"…Yeah, probably."

"You've certainly mellowed – I've never seen you this relaxed, or this happy."

"He makes me happy, Jack, and I'm not afraid to admit it."

"Well, that's good."

Jack had come over to inform them of what happened while they were busy, making for quite an interesting conversation.

"Did you know?"

"Know what…?"

"Sarah-Jane called me half-an-hour ago. Apparently Amelia wet the bed."

The Doctor became alert at this, "Why?"

"It _was _her first night away from you guys since the adoption, she's bound the piddle a little in the sheets."

"We shouldn't have gotten a babysitter; we should have kept her here."

"You can't wrap her up in cotton wool, she'll grow out of it!"

The Doctor went up to him, looking him piercingly in the eye, "Oh yeah? Let me tell you something. I was 8 years old, torn from my parents and plopped in the academy without a moments notice. I wet the bed on the first night, _and _the second night, and every night afterwards. It took _me_ over a century to 'grow out of it', as you so put it."

"Amelia wont be the same! You didn't have a loving family, and even if you'd had one you still couldn't be with them. Amelia does have a loving family, and besides school she's always with them. She's not going to carry on soaking the mattress forever."

The Doctor slumped against a wall, apparently accepting defeat, "You're right, I… I just seem to be arguing with _everyone _these days, for no good reason most of the time. It's not a nice way to live."

"Yeah, but you know you're doing it. So, what are your honeymoon plans?"

"Why?"

"I'm just wondering if there's room for one more…" Jack said, flashing him a smirk.

The Doctor glared daggers through him.

"_No,_ Jack."

"Can't blame a man for trying! But I mean it, I need to know what your plans are so I can arrange a babysitter – and arrange your new job for you when you get back."

"Oh yeah. Torchwood, right?"

"Yeah, or UNIT, whichever takes your fancy. But you'll be spearheading a new Torchwood…"

The Doctor's brow furrowed, "Where?"

"Torchwood One in London… the one you lost Rose at."

The Doctor had paled considerably, and was now as stoic as a statue.

"I know there are some bad memories there, but you can rebuild and change it! I know you of all people can do it, it's why I and UNIT have made you _highly recommended_. And the beauty of it is I'll be like your mentor and supervisor, and I'm going to be watching over your decisions all the way through and making sure you do your job. And the glory of working for Torchwood and working with _me _as your supervisor is you can make your _own _work hours!"

"No chance, Jack! I'd be away from my family… and I can't. I can't go back there! It would destroy me."

"Oh yeah, an empty base is _all-powerful and deadly_. It's Torchwood or UNIT, take your pick. You can work your way or work the government's way."

The Doctor now looked perplexed, "I… can I think it over?"

"Yeah, just don't take too long with your decision."

"Jack?"

The man in question had been walking away, "Yeah?"

"Thanks for this, and everything."

Jack smirked, "_You're welcome_."

* * *

"I had an interesting conversation with Jack today."

They were at the dinner table, and the Doctor was serving up his homemade omelette.

"Aren't Jack's conversations always interesting?"

"They're always _sleazy_, which you find completely interesting. He asked me of our honeymoon plans…"

"Wanted to join in, right?"

"Yeah… and to know when we'd get back so he could know when I was able to start work. But we haven't quite sorted out what my job's going to be yet. I was hoping for your opinion before I made any rash decisions."

"What is there to sort out? You were going to work for Torchwood."

"…Not so much _work _for Torchwood as _control _it… He's asked me to restart Torchwood One."

"Aren't you going to take the job? Your money and our benefits wont last forever."

"Don't you remember what happened at Torchwood One? The memories you saw of it in my head?"

The Master looked thoughtful, and then realization dawned on him.

"Oh, Theta, I'm… I'm sorry. You don't have to take the job if you don't want to."

"It's not about what I want, it's about what's best for my family. Jack said I could do what I liked under his supervision if I took the job, but if I took a position at UNIT I'd have to do what they want all the time and not be able to make my own work hours and see you and the kids as much. But if I took the Torchwood job I'd be away from you even more, all the way over in _London_. I'm at a real crossroads with this…"

"Yes, you are. But I know you'll do what's best for yourself _and_ our family."

"I wish I had as much faith in me as you obviously do. I told Jack I'd think it over."

"And…? What's your decision?"

You could see the cogs in the Doctor's brain working proudly and intently, deliberating this, his eyes suddenly sparkling with mad intelligence, "I think I know a way I can take both jobs."

"What?"

"I'll take on the job in Torchwood, and I'll take on the job at UNIT – but the UNIT job will have to be somewhat downsized. I can be their translator, their negotiator, their tactical advisor and technological expert – as well as any other small jobs I'm good at. It's the best solution all-round."

"That does sound best, but…"

"What is it, Koschei?"

The Master covered the Doctor's hand with his, keeping eye contact, "You wouldn't be around here anymore."

"I'll be here dawn and dusk! And anyway, I'll just be commuting to London, not flying to Ireland; I wont be gone for very long, and I'll be missing you the whole time. Got it?"

"I'll be missing you the whole time too, but you'll still be gone."

"I'll call you all the time."

"Aren't I supposed to be the dad? You're the mum, surely you should be the one staying home and looking after the family?"

"Okay, here's my rebuttal. 1. you're still not trusted with anything remotely resembling normal work, 2. I have better people skills and a wider range of knowledge, 3. Jack asked _me _to work and not you, because you're better with children, and 4. I may be the mum but you're more motherly. And that's really a very old-fashioned view you have of things, there's now such a thing as a stay-at-home dad."

"That's a good rebuttal. Although 3 kinda ties in with 4."

"Whenever do I have a bad rebuttal?"

"I wont say."

The Doctor grinned, walking out and yelling "Tea's on!" up the stairs. The effect of clumping, hurrying footsteps was immediate. "No need to hurry, it's not going to make a break for it!"

Amelia picked the herbs out of her omelette in distaste, Donna picked at hers – expecting it to jump out at her and shoot slime in her hair, and Jenny was the only female at the table who was bothering to eat.

"Amelia, the green bits are good for you."

"They're _green_."

"They're called 'herbs', just because they're green doesn't make them bad for you. Ever heard the expression 'eat your greens'?"

"They're _snot green_."

"That's a matter of opinion. Now stop ruining your omelette and eat it."

The Doctor turned to his partner, "See? Perfect father material, I am."

"Or a very stern mother."

**A/N: **Haha, I'm nearly at the milestone chapter 20! And nearly at a perfectly sustainable plot twist… if I can figure out how they get to it. It's all in the works! I just keep having this image of them in a graveyard in my head, that's got to mean something… that I should write a graveyard into the plot, probably. It probably has nothing to do with the Weeping Angels… probably.

Alt. Titles: 'Egging him on' and 'Have your Omelette and eat it'. Because I've got one week of school left before the half-term holidays. Original title was 'Crossroads and Rebuttal', but I decided it was too long a title so I changed it. It's very vague, in a way, which is fun.

One more week to go, one more week 'til term ends… Just imagine that last bit in a sing-song voice. Now onto chapter 20! Egg puns are cool, even though I make the worst ones.


	20. First Day

**A/N: **So this is what a milestone is… unfortunately mine only stretches _half_ a mile and looks more like a dirt clod than a stone.

**Chapter 20 – Keeping an eye out**

"Yeah, Doc, that seems workable." Jack said into the phone, having heard the Doctor's proposal.

"I thought you of all people would try to persuade me that being closer to my family is the better thing, Jack." the Doctor sighed into the receiver.

"You'll be as close to your family as you can possibly be, you can even call them all the time if you want. I'm just glad you've thought this through."

"I have, and I'd rather not be away from my family at all, but I've got to provide for them somehow."

Jack chuckled, "You, mother of two, married and living on Earth, and the main breadwinner of your household? Wouldn't have expected any of this from you in a million years."

"Yeah, me neither, but family changes you. Right now I've got something of high importance to discuss with you."

"Thete, come back to bed…" was what Jack heard next through his phone. The next thing he heard was the Doctor's breath hitching as the Master started palming him through his pyjama trousers. Jack chuckled again.

"You okay there Doc?"

"Ahem, yes, err – Kos, get off! – I'm just having a bit of difficulty."

"A bit of difficulty, meaning you're on your honeymoon, so you're both super-horny."

"…That's the gist of it, yes. Can we continue this conversation later?"

"Sure, I'm not gonna get in the way of marital sex – _this time_, heh. You two go ahead, and tell the Master I said hi!"

The Doctor put the phone back into its' holder, and turned to the Master, "Jack says hi."

"Yeah, and I'm the Pope. It's never just 'hi' with him…"

"No, really! It's just hi this time… and his blessing, I think."

"Well, at least we know we've got someone's blessing. Now," the Master found his mate's prostate (or Time Lord equivalent thereof) and flicked it casually, "Who's going to be on top?"

"Ohh how can you always f-find it?"

"Don't you know? I have your pleasure centres memorized. That little bundle of pleasure isn't all that hard to find and remember." he replied, still flicking.

"Auugh oh god… you c-can be on t-t-top."

"I was hoping you'd say that."

* * *

"Hey, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Jack said, raising his eyebrows. The happy couple had returned from their honeymoon, and they were finally going to continue the conversation they'd started over the phone.

The Doctor had the decency the blush, "I'm worried about Koschei; he seems to be hiding something from me."

"Aw, it's just post-marriage jitters – it'll pass."

"No Jack, I'm serious." the Doctor exclaimed, "He's… he's not himself. He isn't eating much, sometimes not even appearing at mealtimes. And he locks himself in our room on the TARDIS all day, like he's got something to hide. I even _hear _things coming from our room when he's in there, and they're not nice."

"That _is _serious…" Jack said, as perplexed as the Doctor was.

"It's been going on for months, and I've noticed a change in him, but nothing _this_ detrimental to his health. I'm worried about him."

"Have you tried going into the room when he's in there? It might give you some idea of what he's doing."

"I've tried. It's got a deadlock seal and the TARDIS refuses to lift it."

Jack rolled his eyes, "Have you even bothered to talk to her about it? Sounds like she might be in on it."

The Doctor looked horrified, "No! She's fine with him now, she wouldn't… she wouldn't try to kill him or let him kill himself. She knows I love him, if she hurt him she'd be hurting _me_, and she wouldn't ever hurt me.

"Ya think? Why else would she be keeping him locked up like that?"

"She isn't keeping him locked up. She told me he wants to be left alone."

"Yeah? That may be, but it still sounds to me like you can't even trust your own ship anymore. Demands some answers, you're her pilot; she'll _have _to answer you. And so will he, if he comes outta there you grab him and ask him some serious questions."

* * *

"Doctor, what's all this about?" he'd only walked out for a wee.

"You're keeping something from me, and I want to know what."

"Working on coordinates."

"What?"

The Master sighed, "I was working on coordinates. I didn't want you to see because I wanted it to be a surprise. I decided that if you wanted to know I'd tell you; I don't want to keep any secrets from you."

"Why? What's so special about these coordinates?" the Doctor said.

"They're coordinates for romantic places and… the last one is special. You might not like it at first but I know you'll love me for it afterwards."

"Are you saying… they're for a _date night_?"

"…I suppose you could say that, yes. Probably a better term for it than 'romantic coordinates'."

The Doctor pulled him in for a hug, "But… you're so pale. You haven't been eating, you're as scrawny as a rat! You can hardly stand up, even now!"

"I wanted to make sure I got everything perfect, so I started skipping meals to make up time. Malnutrition is a small price to pay for love…"

"This is what you call _love_? Worrying me to my wits' end and starving yourself?" the Doctor said, terrified, "I was worried that you and the TARDIS were plotting against me, and it's that she's been letting you turn yourself into a skeleton! Well, _not anymore_."

"What?"

"Love also means keeping your lover healthy and well-fed. Before we even have a _date night _I'm going to make sure you put some weight on!" he was pulling the Master towards the kitchen.

"But I need a wee…"

"You can piss in your trousers for all I care, right now I'm getting some food in you."

* * *

The Master had been thinking if he'd ever get to eat again, he wouldn't loose it. He was wrong.

He took his first bite, and then he was ravenous.

"Good to see you've not lost your appetite… you actually seemed to have gained more of one."

"I didn't think I'd… I hadn't felt hungry, why now?"

"Your body is telling you to give it what it needs, and you're finally complying. Eat, and you'll feel much better. You may _think _you didn't feel hungry, but you'd just gotten good at ignoring it, and your body ate away at itself to compensate. Why'd you think you'd become so skeletal?"

"…I guess I assumed without thinking. I _am _hungry now." the Master said through a mouthful of cheese and puff pastry. (He's eating a cheese-and-onion pasty, if you can't tell.)

"Apart from being your husband, I'm now your dietician. That means I'll watch what you're eating and make sure you get back to normal. And unlike regular dieticians, I'm going to be the one creating your meals instead of giving you recipes to make them yourself."

"So, you're my personal chef?"

"You're hardly in any state to cook for yourself now."

"…I know, and that's my own fault. I didn't think, I just wanted to make you feel loved, but didn't factor in that I was losing weight and you might get worried."

"I think _might _is a big understatement. You'll be low on several vitamins and minerals including iron, so I'm going to monitor you for signs of anaemia and any other problems that may occur. You seem to be fine now, if a bit woozy and extremely underweight."

* * *

"So, he was just in there because he was planning a _date night_?"

"Yes, and he was only missing meals because he wanted to get it right. He's still not telling me where we're going, but he's plotted the coordinates. Before we do anything I'm going to be his personal dietician to make sure he puts the weight back on."

"Well… not something I was expecting."

"Me neither. I guess we were just expecting the worst. This… it'll take for him to recover, but I'll make sure he will."

"What are you going to do in the meantime?"

"What?"

"Are you going to get on with your job, or are you going to stay with him 24/7 to make sure he eats every meal? You can't do both."

"I know I can't, and I won't. Donna will be with him all day, and Sarah-Jane's promised to check in on them from time to time. He'll do fine without me, and I'll be with him morning, night and at weekends. I can still work."

"I hope you're right, because if you have to suddenly go home you can't get someone to cover you – you're the top guy."

The Doctor grinned, "I know, and I'll be sure to warn you if anything crops up."

"Good, I'll introduce you to your staff. Some are ex-UNIT, some ex-soldiers, and some of them are special recruits."

"Who's a special recruit?" The Doctor said as the exited the lift.

"Doctor!" he turned and saw a boy, no older than 17, standing in front of him, "Remember me?"

"Luke!" the Doctor exclaimed, pulling the boy in for a hug, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm one of the 'special recruits' Jack was just telling you about. I'm on work experience here until I can find a more suitable profession in the long-term."

"That's brilliant! I assume your mum got you the position."

"Yeah, her connections do help."

"Well Doctor, I guess I can leave the guided tour in Luke's capable hands. See you when you're done." Jack said, walking back the way they'd came.

The Doctor thoroughly enjoyed Luke's guided tour, as the boy seemed to have easily memorized everything, and was quite descriptive with his explanations.

"Well, I guess it's time to let you meet the rest of your team."

They travelled through the lift, and stopped first at one of several medical bays in the complex. "Martha!" the Doctor exclaimed, seeing his old friend there before him, "Is _everybody _I know working in Torchwood One now?"

"No, just us who are qualified. You know I'm ex-UNIT now, and I came out of freelancing when I heard you were restarting this place, so I could get a job here and keep an eye on you when everyone else can't. Jack was only too pleased to have me hired; it's like the old team back together again."

"Minus the running for our lives part; we'll be too bogged down in paperwork to notice anything."

"Oh, whatever paperwork you have, most of it will get handled through your secretary."

"My secretary?"

"Of course! A boss can't be a good boss without somebody else handling the invoices, now can he? Especially you, you'll be doing none of the paperwork because you'll want to be out there with the rest of 'em."

"You know me too well."

"Yep." she replied, popping the 'p', "Just be sure to pop over here when your done. All new staff need a complete medical examination to see if they're up for the job, health-wise."

"Yeah, I'll try…"

"No, you'll do it."

"Do you know you sound more and more like your mum every time I see you? Speaking of Francine…"

"Don't say it. I don't know what you were going to say, frankly I don't want to know. I won't have anyone badmouthing her."

"Okay! I was just going to ask if she's okay."

"She's fine. Now I think you'd better meet your secretary. Move!" she said, turning them around and ushering them to the lift doors.

* * *

"Donna!"

"Yes?"

"What are you doing here…?"

"Jack wanted someone you were already familiar with, but who'd do their job properly. For some reason I fit the bill."

"Yes, but… doesn't this mean you've left my husband all on his own? He'll never put on some weight if there's nobody to make him eat."

"Oh, once I was contacted about this job I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to see you make an arse of yourself. I called Jenny and she's keeping an eye on him. Once we feel he'll eat his meals without supervision she'll leave."

The Doctor seemed to relax at this, his body slumping in relief as he let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding in. "Yes… I should…"

"If you want me to help you with my systems here I'll help you, but you've got to stop being so paranoid about everything! Bet you've never even been the boss of anything without making yourself the boss. You're in this position without having to cause any unnecessary uproar, you're sure to feel uncomfortable for a while."

The Doctor smiled, "You always know what to say."

"Yeah, yeah – but at least this time it's not to get you out of trouble. If I didn't flutter my lashes at half the people you piss off you'd have had your block knocked off half a dozen times by now."

"What if I had my knock blocked off?"

"…Stop trying to make my brain explode. You had your chance with that and you've lost it."

"Okay, I know my boundaries! It's just lovely to have you back…"

"And wind me up, you mean."

"That's just an upside to our lovely reimbursed friendship."

**A/N: **I think I wrote this chapter while in Manchester. Fun Times! I had rainbow sherbet. I'm now eating cheese and onion crisps (back at home) and watching _Paul O'Grady Live_.


	21. The Subject of Death

**A/N: **Now the chapter of Sarah-Jane's death… or her death'll be in chapter 22, I'm not sure. I've started writing this on the day after Elizabeth Sladen's death, but the start of this chapter has been flying around in my head for a while. Hana-to-mame has already seen this and chapter 22 on facebook, but if I decide to continue this tradition you lot are under NO CIRCUMSTANCES allowed to visit my facebook page to see unposted chapters - people I don't know are blocked anyway. But feel free to enjoy these chapters – I'm doing allot of bulk posts lately, aren't I? Anyway, I'm putting up chapters 21-24 because I can, and none of you are reviewing anymore! I feel unloved. I'm making home-made sausage rolls today, but unless you review none of you are getting any. Unless you're a vegetarian; if you're a vegetarian you can have one of the big meringues I've got in the kitchen.

**Chapter 21 – The Subject of Death**

He'd been working as head of Torchwood 1 in London for a week now, and was only just getting settled when a message came over the intercom.

"Doctor, the school called an hour ago telling you to pick up Amelia."

"What! Why didn't you tell me?"

"She's already here, you plank!" there was a buzz, and Amelia walked through the door into his office.

"Hi, mum."

"Why was I told to pick you up when the school knows I work?"

"Well, we both know dad's still not recovered from the starvation and I didn't want to mess up his mealtimes so I told them they couldn't call him. I tried to tell them they couldn't call you either, but nobody was listening to me."

"Oh, Amelia…" he motioned for her to come forward and enveloped her in his arms.

"Doctor, I– oh!" Jack was in the doorway.

"Jack – I know you have supervisory duties to attend to, but you could've warned me before travelling here."

"I know, Doc, but it's nothing to do with my job or your job."

The Doctor let go of Amelia, but then pulled her back in and hugged her tighter.

"It's Sarah-Jane… she's in hospital."

* * *

"What'll happen to auntie Sarah, mum?" Amelia said with tears rolling down her cheeks as he drove them to the Royal Hope Hospital.

"I don't know, sweetheart…" the Doctor said, keeping his eyes on the road.

In truth, he knew allot more than he was letting on. She'd been ill for months, even when they'd discovered her Sontaran clone. It was only now that her symptoms had got on top of her, as he'd expected. But she was so stubborn… much like him, in a way. He frowned as tears pricked his eyes, and shook his head in defeat.

"In all truth? She may be very ill, and I don't know what'll happen. We can only hope that now she's being properly taken care of in hospital she pulls through."

Amelia knew what 'pulling through' meant – it meant Sarah-Jane could die. She choked back a sob, and the Doctor pulled her in for a one-armed hug as sobs racked his own body.

* * *

"Luke!" Amelia exclaimed, running to him and hugging his legs – although _clinging_ to his legs would be a more appropriate terminology.

"How's she doing?" the Doctor asked, clasping Amelia's schoolbag loosely in his hand.

"Holding up… I wasn't in work today myself because I had the morning off and she'd had a funny turn in the afternoon. Could've been stuck in the house for hours – Rani was the first to know about it when she'd went to visit her after school. She'd discovered her unconscious in the attic – Mr Smith couldn't have sent out a distress signal because he hadn't been online all day. I drove up here as fast as I could when I heard."

Amelia currently had her head buried in his kneecaps, but pulled out to ask, "Is she going to die?"

"I'm not sure, no-one is…"

"Um, sweetheart, I'm sure Luke has had a very tiring day and doesn't need to have any questions bombarded at him."

Jenny suddenly walked through the double doors and strolled up to the three of them, "Don't worry, dad's had his tea. What's going on?"

They sat down and explained all that had happened, and then went to visit her in the ward.

"Geriatric ward. Didn't think I was _that _old, but oh well…"

Amelia buried her head in her side, "Auntie Sarah, are you going to die?"

"Oh, I don't think so… not for a few years yet."

"Liar!" she yelled, pulling away abruptly.

"Amelia!" the Doctor yelled as the girl ran from the room.

He ran after her, looking for half-an-hour and not finding her, eventually sitting in the waiting room and waiting for her to turn up.

"_Amelia Smith, your mother is waiting for you in the waiting room. Amelia Smith…_"

"Hello, sweetie." He did a double take when he saw her.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped, standing up, "Haven't you caused enough damage?"

"Oh, your friend going tits-up isn't my fault and you know it. But I've come to warn you."

His eyes narrowed, "Warn me about what?"

"She's going to die tonight. And I'm sorry, but you've got much worse things ahead of you."

He paled, "Worse things? How can I possibly be in any worse of a situation?"

"You will be if you let any of this dampen your spirits. That woman's death is–"

"_That woman_'s name is Sarah-Jane Smith," he took a step forward, "She's a very dear friend of mine, and if you were too you'd have had the decency to remember her name when you besmirched her memory."

"I was _going _to say her death is unfortunate, but you can't fail to notice what is to come. There will be choices for all of you and, I'm sorry… but you'll be confronted with much worse than an old friend's death."

He grabbed her hand off his shoulder, "You have no idea what I'm going through – and I don't even know you. There can be nothing worse than this." there was unhidden venom in his voice.

She looked behind him, "Your little girl will be back soon. Make sure you love her while you can."

And with that, she fiddled with a vortex manipulator on her wrist and she was gone. He hadn't even noticed she'd been wearing one, but as he sat back down on the undersized plastic chair he found he didn't much care.

**A/N: **I _hated _writing this chapter. There were many times when I stopped because I just couldn't bare it, but I all got it done on the same day I started. I think this was started at quarter to 5… more like 16:46.

She'll die in the next chapter, and I'm going to hate writing that too. I might not even write the scene, I might just start the chapter with the morning after the death. I'd also meant to put Martha in this chapter as the acting Doctor on the ward, but the opportunity never came up and I'm okay with it.

First Nicholas Courtney, now Elizabeth… I'm starting to think all the people who played the third Doctor's companions may be cursed to die in this decade. We better say goodbye to Katy Manning while we can…

(Also, do any of you remember that Royal Hope Hospital is where Martha and the Doctor first met while she was still training? Yeah, I wrote that specific hospital in. And that was River Song he was just talking to in the waiting room, apparently her identity is going to be revealed in one of the upcoming episodes. Can't wait!)


	22. Loose Ends

**A/N: **I can't possibly explain what I'm feeling as I write this… written the day after the death [of Elizabeth Sladen] and the same day as the last chapter. So, this chapter begins in the morning after Sarah-Jane's death. My last literary homage to the late actress who played her, and a goddamn emotional chapter if I have anything to do with it.

**Chapter 22 – Loose Ends**

A solitary fishstick dangling above the cream-coloured ooze like dangling over the precipice, and it was dipped and eaten.

"Mum, eat something proper! Why fishsticks and custard?"

"'Something quick and easy. And it's called _fish custard_, and don't start question my culinary choices; the last person who did that got nowhere fast…"

"What happened?"

"I think I was having cravings at the time, for some reason. First, apples, then – I may have got these muddled up somewhere – yoghurt, beans, bacon, toast, and probably other things but I can't remember. Anyway, the only thing that I was able to stomach was this – _fish custard_. Actually quite nice, want some?"

"No thanks… I'll think I'll stick to m'cheerios."

The Master came in and wrapped his arms around the Doctor, "How're you bearing up, love?"

"As much as I would if anyone else had died. What about you?"

"I didn't know her as well as you did, but I know what she meant to you and I can only do my best to understand and feel the same. Will you be going to the funeral?"

"…I'm not sure, but I know she'd have loved me to be there. I can't… the stress of the whole Sontaran situation and then the wedding and your sudden malnutrition that she'd had to watch over with Jenny, it must've just all… what killed her was the stress of it all, and it could have all been averted – not the wedding, of course, but all the bad stuff."

"Well, the girls and I'll be going. You think you'll feel like it on the day?"

"Yeah, might… if worst comes to worst I'll have locked myself in the TARDIS for fear of her ghost appearing and giving me a sore ear."

"Oh _please_, she'd never. Donna'd be the only person to do that – and even if she's in a good mood. Will you be taking any leave?"

"What?"

"You'll need time to mourn her – Sarah-Jane, I mean."

"Oh, yeah… well, I'll not be taking any leave or sick days of any kind. I'm fit as a fiddle – ask Martha – and I've only been at work a week."

"Jack'll understand; he told me himself that if you feel you need to take time off because of this or anything connected to it, you should feel free to. And we'll not be any better or worse off if you take a few days, you'll be on payed leave."

"I said I'm fine. I'm in a good enough state to work."

"Okay, but… you know I'm in a good enough state to have fun now, right? So don't forget our pre-planned date night."

The Doctor perked up considerably at this, "How come you always know the right things to say?"

"One of us has to have all the right answers, don't they? But I'm glad to see you finally cheering up."

"Excuse me!"

They both looked over at Amelia,

"You haven't said hello to me this morning, dad!"

The Master grinned, "Aye, I 'avent. Hullo, love."

"Stop taking the mick. Can I go see Luke?"

"Why?"

"I know his mum's dead now and he has no dad… I guess before I was adopted, I could relate."

* * *

"Theta… I'm sure she would've wanted you at her funeral, and I know she would've wanted you to have some happiness in your life. Please, I'm better now and I'm going with the girls, I'd love if you were there with me."

The door to their bedroom opened, and the Doctor was standing there in a black suit and tie, "Let's go."

"Yeah… it's not until tomorrow. Like the suit, though."

They walked downstairs, and there was a stranger in the living room. "Mr Smith, I am here on behalf of Sarah-Jane Smith, depicting her final will."

* * *

"What was it…?" the Master asked – he'd gotten out of their way to look after Amelia.

"She wants us to be happy… And she wants me to look after Luke; like the father he never had. I suppose… I wasn't there with her when she'd discovered him and adopted him, and I would've loved to be and to help her with him, and she knew it. She also gave me this…" he handed him a little white paper bag.

"She certainly knows how to seal a deal with you. I think this could even be the same bag you used to keep your old jelly babies in."

"She said she hopes you recover, and she hopes that we can go on the date night soon and that her death wont put a dampener on things. Seems she might've done her will right before her death – which is good, I suppose. No loose ends left untied…"

"Do you want to…?"

"Do I want to what?"

"Do you want to have the date night any time soon? I can't be kept waiting forever."

"…She said as much."

"_Meaning_, she wants you to be happy and she wants us to go on our date. You can't back out of it, it's one of her dying wishes!"

"Alright…"

"What?"

"She wants me to live my life and be happy? I'll do it, and we're doing it together."

"You mean…"

"We're going to have our date night. And anyway, Gita told me she'd be happy to look after Amelia any time. So, we're going to pop her off with her if she's free and we get to have a night to ourselves."

"You know what I love about you?"

"What?"

"You think people [and the universe] think you can't have happiness, and you just love the challenge."

"You've got me there. Are we going to get some practice in before I have to put tea on?" the Doctor asked, leering suggestively.

"No."

"Why not!"

"I'm saving everything for our wonderful evening together. Aren't you?"

"The only things I save are planets, their civilisations, and anybody who deserves it – including you. I save sex for nothing."

"You're diplomatic in your refusal to go cold turkey, I'll give you that. But I'm still saying no."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to be tired out _before _we even have sex – although with all that we'll have to get through, I'll get worn out anyhow."

"I'm amorous – what am I supposed to do about it before tonight?"

"Theta, there's a little thing that's been around as long as sex – wanking. Have fun!"

**A/N: **Can you tell I'm getting over Elizabeth Sladen's death? Yeah, the sexy elements are coming back into play, I've stopped mourning for now…


	23. Dead Man's Thoughts

**A/N: **It's about time I started writing this chapter… on my mum's laptop. She better get my netbook charger fixed soon… not that I'm complaining, but I can't draw or write during school any more, and I always seem to get my most inspired when I'm in school. WHY? My muse is now defunct when I'm at home, save little times like this, and I DON'T OWN A FLASH DRIVE USB STICK. But enough of my ranting… it's just been a while now and my charger still hasn't been fixed. But I'm watching _Paul O'Grady Live_ now and Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) is one of this week's guests, along with James Corden (the bloke who played Craig Owens in _The Lodger_) so I'm happy. And it's Friday! Forgot to mention. Now a bit of wholesome family time… because I've been brainstorming the next chapters all day and I need something simple to help my brain power down.

**Chapter 23 – Dead Man's Thoughts**

"Luke!" Amelia exclaimed, running and hugging his legs (yet again).

"Oh, hello…"

"How're you doing?"

"It was unexpected, but I'm coping. Where's the Doctor?"

"He's had a… prior engagement. Surely it's too early to have the funeral? She hasn't been dead long."

"I know, but I want to put this past us. And she always would've hated it if any of us mourn her for too long."

"You're right there. I suppose… the Doctor _is _coming to the funeral, he promised. I just don't know how he'll handle it, but he seems to be finally coming to terms with her death. And hopefully this means we can get on with our date night at some point."

"That's good." Luke said, ruffling Amelia's hair as she giggled into his knees.

"Can I see Mr Smith?" she said, looking up at him expectantly.

"Yeah, sure…"

**A/N: **Okay, I just have to say, _just _as I typed the word 'sure', an advert for _Sure _deodorant popped up on the telly. Coincidence? Probably. Just ignore me and carry on reading.

"What are you planning to do with him? You can't just leave him in that attic; he'll need proper maintenance and someone to talk to."

"…I'm thinking of handing him over to your husband. And, if he sees fit to implement my ideas, perhaps Mr Smith can help Torchwood and UNIT better themselves allot, along with the rest of the human race."

"Are you sure you're not just thinking of him as old baggage that your mother left to you? But it is a good idea to give him to the Doctor; just make sure you actually _tell _Mr Smith before you hand him over."

"I've told him and he's cool with it. He's actually looking forward to benefiting the human race in a more direct setting."

"Mr Smith is moving?" Amelia cried, now downstairs.

"You're very quiet, aren't you?"

"Shut up, daddy, and answer me!" she sobbed.

"Yes, he is, but I'm sure you'll be still be able to visit him."

"Okay, daddy…" Amelia said, seemingly accepting defeat and walking back up to the attic.

"She's very emotional, isn't she?"

"She's not had the best start in life; it's only to be expected, and we can handle it."

"Shouldn't you be getting back to the Doctor soon? I know what you meant by 'prior engagement', so you gotta make sure he doesn't have too much fun on his own."

"How'd you know?"

"I'm a teenager at the peak of sexual growth, and it's not that hard to real between the lines."

* * *

"Doctor…"

"Nice to see you again. I didn't rub one off, just sat down and read one of Amelia's fairy books. They're quite repetitive but I like the goblins. They're not grotesque, but they're idiots and that's close enough."

"You think you could start speaking to me without the indifference? Amelia wanted to go see Luke and I think under the circumstances I could put our daughter before our marriage."

The Doctor sighed exasperatedly, "I'm not angry or… indifferent, as you say, I was just a bit miffed but that's all gone now. Now, we better get to bed; we've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow, what with the funeral."

"Yes, and maybe you won't be so moody after a nice sleep."

* * *

As they drove up to the church, the Doctor couldn't help but flinch, and the Master couldn't help but notice it.

"What's wrong?"

"It's the same place where the… _non-wedding _happened. Didn't think she'd want to have it _here _of all places."

"If there was such a thing as heaven, I'm sure she'd be watching down on us and enjoying watching you squirm. I'm sure anyone would, it's an enjoyable sight."

"Ha ha, very funny."

Then walked through the doors, and it was exactly as he remembered it; pristine wood panelling, tatty old furniture and that guy at the counter who always seemed to be lazing around on his arse and watching the races. _It's a wonder he hasn't been fired_, the Doctor thought.

"Ah yes, Mr Smith, Doctor Smith, we will begin with the proceedings shortly." A poncy man in the tailored suit seemed to have came out of nowhere – _Does everybody just simply 'pop up' in this town? _the Doctor muttered to himself.

"_Ah yes,_" the Doctor replied, mimicking the man, "I suppose you'll entertain us with some pointless drivel and tell us how lovely our daughter is – something we already know – and then park us in the appropriate seats? And it's just _Doctor_, for your information, and I'd like it to be kept that way."

The snooty man was taken aback, but not as much as the Master. As they went to find their seats, he whispered, "What is wrong with you? I know it's your friend's funeral but you had no reason to act the way you did. A child nagging for sweets and then having a tantrum comes to mind."

"I… I just really don't want to be here. You know I know it was my fault she died, so let's just leave it at that."

"_Okay_, but we're talking about this when we get home."

They took their seats next to Luke and Clyde, and the words began.

"We are here today to mourn the passing of…"

* * *

The funeral was over, and they were outside talking to Luke – or the Doctor was, as Amelia had gone to find something fun to do and the Master had begrudgingly followed.

It was a while before the Doctor came back, but once he did he was back to his usual exuberant self, "You know that boy, Clyde Langer? – Luke's friend – He's apparently a very good artist."

"Nice to see you've cheered up, to some degree."

"Mum, I found stinging nettles!" Amelia said, running up to him.

"What!" the Doctor said, grabbing her and checking her over, "What happened, did she touch them?"

"No, she knew to leave them be. Now stop having a maternal panic attack and let's head home."

* * *

"Mum, I drew this!" Amelia held it up to him once they were home.

It was a picture of his family drawn with crayons – Him, the Master, 'Uncle' Jack, Auntie Martha, Auntie Donna, Auntie Sarah-Jane and of course Amelia and To'mfa.

"It's nice, love, but why is Auntie Sarah there?"

"I drew this before she died, but I never got to show it to her…"

The Doctor now understood that everyone missed Sarah-Jane as much as he did.

"Oh, sweetheart… I'm sure she would have loved it, and the composition is amazing."

"Clyde taught me! And I saw a drawing of K-9."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow involuntarily, "Oh, you did, did you? I'll have to talk to that boy the next time I see him, but for now I think it's time for your tea."

Amelia ran off to do whatever little girls do, and the Master walked in.

"Koschei, we need to talk."

The Master's gut fell like a boulder in his stomach; 'we need to talk' was never a start to a good conversation.

"Don't look at me like that – it's nothing bad." the Doctor said, smiling his best reassuring smile, "I just wondered when we were going to make good on our dating arrangements… and I want to apologize for my appalling behaviour over the last few days."

The Master sighed, "You and I both know that's not your fault. You've had a hard time recently, what with having to adjust to a new life and everyone you know dropping like flies."

"I know, but all of that was no reason for acting like the way I did, especially today. If I'm honest… I don't know what this entails exactly, because our species hasn't reproduced naturally for thousands of years, as you know."

"Theta, what does this have to do with reproduction?"

"…I'm in heat. And you know what that means – with our kind even the males could become pregnant, carry a child and successfully give birth, but there were more risks than with a female's pregnancy and there still are. Would've thought all that stuff of natural reproduction would've been bred out after all the time with looming, but obviously not."

"I know."

"You know…?"

"Ever since you turned into a bitchy bastard I wondered if there was some previously dormant quirk of our species' biology that must of reawakened inside of you, and obviously the TARDIS knew more than I did; turned me onto some books about it in the library, all very helpful. I eventually realized what it was, and resolved to let you figure it out in your own time – even when you become unnaturally and extremely horny you're still an inquisitive mind, and obviously I was right and you've figured it out. I only found out myself soon after I completed our dating plans, if you'd believe that."

"…I don't know what to say. Seems if the TARDIS came to the same conclusion we have that she was right. I'm in heat, and… _impregnable_. I'm just wondering how this is going to affect the date night you'd planned for us."

"Oh, when I found out I modified it, so there's hardly any chance of you getting pregnant unless you want to."

"Wait – unless I want to?"

"All will be revealed on the night! And Donna knows some of the details, but don't you try getting them out of her! She has been sworn to secrecy on a most heinous penalty."

"What heinous penalty would that be, my dear?"

"She has to look after Amelia for a week without telly, internet or a working phone connection – and just t'boot, I'll nick her _mobile_ phone when she isn't looking."

"So if she tells me, she gets to look after our wonderful daughter with anything to do – and you are aware I've recently turned her into a bookworm and she always does the weekly sudoku, right? So your _heinous penalty _falls flat there."

"Oh, thanks for finally pointing all that out to me! But you're still not getting anything out of her; she knows how import this night is to me and she's not about to go jeopardizing it, whatever you try to persuade her with."

"Not even chocolate hobnobs and a bottle of mint baileys?"

"Yes."

"Is that 'yes, it'll work' or 'yes, it won't work'?"

"Yes."

**A/N: **I usually never go past the four page mark with my chapters unless my A/N causes me to – and I'm using OpenOffice to do all this, if you're wondering. I started out on this fic with Microsoft Office 2010 Trial Edition, but then the trial expired and… yeah, I'm having to use OpenOffice now, I don't know when I started having to use it but know this: I rue the day when, to some unfortunate circumstances, we stopped having Microsoft Office [Full] on mum's computer… Also I lost the installation disc for it. I rue that day too. You know what's ironic? The monitor my old computer used to have was my mum's monitor which she'd had to get from my brother because her old monitor had burnt out. And the only reason my monitor's gone now is because that same brother stole it back for his new computer.


	24. Let the Night Begin

**A/N: **Fun Fact: my birthday is September 24th, and I'm going to be 16 this year! Yeah… I'm not bothered about it either. Just another year older, right? But now I really want to get on with this chapter, hopefully it's when the romance starts! And we could even get to the bottom of the Master's mysterious plans, but it's nothing bad I swear! It's actually pretty awesome, but I can't reveal anything in this A/N – it has to be all in the fic! I've been looking at old childhood photos all day – I and my siblings were all so cute, what happened? I suppose it all ends when you become a teenager… or in this family it does. But ignore my rambling and please, read the story and review it when you're done! I love all feedback.

**Chapter 24 – Let the Night Begin**

"You know, Theta," the Master said, hugging him from behind in a leisurely way, "I've always imagined you in a thong. Well, more like _fantasized_, but I suppose either term is fine."

The Doctor swallowed his tea. It was the day of the date night, and the sexual tension was unbearable – and the Master was taking advantage of it every bit, he knew. They'd arranged for Donna to look after Amelia, and she was only too happy to help.

"You… Is that one of the things you have planned for tonight?" the Doctor said, hardly daring to breathe.

"Actually I was rather hoping you'd be spontaneous yourself, but it's just a suggestion." a quick peck on the cheek, and he was gone.

The Doctor exhaled with relief – if the Master kept this up he'd been within his clutches in no time. He tried to remind himself that the Master was just teasing him and it was best to go along with it for now, but he couldn't help it; he was aroused and he'd be damned if he was going to masturbate. He thought about it – Masturbate, a funny word. It sounded like it had 'Master' at the start of it. How ironic.

A while later, he gave up trying to read his Dostoevsky's on his quiet Saturday afternoon and went thong-hunting.

* * *

"Hello, Theta."

"I see you've packed some bags. Going to have an overnight stay, are we?"

"The least you know, the better. They're just provisions, seeing as what I've planned may carry on into the early hours, depending on how everything goes."

They were in the TARDIS, about to materialize at their first destination.

"You do not have to lift a finger tonight, my dear; everything will be done for you." the Master had insisted as he made to mess with the controls.

"But what about–"

"I'll hear none of it! I'm trying to give you a good time tonight, so will you just left yourself relax? I'm sure I can fly this old rust bucket through the vortex in no time…" he'd replied, then been zapped by the TARDIS, and hastily apologized.

* * *

As soon as they'd exited the TARDIS, the Doctor felt tears in his eyes.

"Oh, Koschei… it looks just like Gallifrey did when we were children!"

"Do you like it? I tried to get it down to the exact detail, but I'm sure I've got something wrong – it _was_ nearly a millennia ago."

"I… how is this possible?"

"I pulled some strings on Diligo-Ortus. The King and Queen had recently found an empty planet with no owner and decided to take it on, so when I suggested that I get it turned into a replica Gallifrey for you they agreed without hesitation."

"But… oh, Koschei!" the Doctor exclaimed, seeming to come over in a dry faint and collapsing into the Master's arms, "…Is this it?"

"No."

"I don't think I can handle any more surprises tonight…"

"Yes, you can, and there'll be many more."

* * *

"You can open your eyes now."

"It's…" the Doctor breathed, squinting slightly.

"…Flixel Heritur One, the biggest scientific convention in the universe? Yes, I rather noticed that."

"It's…"

"Are you ever going to finish that sentence?"

"…amazing. Absolutely amazing, oh Koschei it's brilliant!" the Doctor exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the Master's neck gleefully, "You really know the way to a man's hearts, don't you?"

"I just reasoned on your scientific curiosity and this is where it brought us, and I see you like it."

"Oh, of course I like it! Science! A whole consortium of brilliant minds with brilliant creations! It's a smorgasbord of knowledge!"

"I'm glad you like it, because we can stay here all day if you want."

"Really?"

"Yes. Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I just… I just want to get through all of this date so, I want to see all of it. Can we come back here another time?"

The Master smirked, "I factored in that you'd be impatient. Yes, we can come here another time. We have a time machine, remember?"

"Yes!" the Doctor replied, running back into the TARDIS giddily.

* * *

"Koschei, this is… too much."

"Nothing is too much for you, my love."

"It's… it's the greatest restaurant in the universe! How did you manage to get us in here?"

"I have my ways – you aren't the only person in the universe with psychic paper."

"I would've never thought of this… thanks."

"For what?"

"For this. All of this."

"I'll take 'this' as a compliment."

"Oh, this is… is this the last place we're going tonight?"

"Nope, but the next place is where the _fun_ starts."

"Why do I not like the sound of that…?"

"You'll like it when you know what it is – for now let's eat."

**A/N: **I want to cut this off now because the next chapter will [hopefully] contain smut, and I'm leaving you all forewarned. Or it'll be the best smut I can muster, and I was actually thinking about it all throughout school on the day I wrote this chapter. Uh… thinking about it? No, brainstorming it. That's right… I've already dug myself _that _hole.


	25. Revisitations and Limitations

**A/N: **I'm doing this… because I can. And I don't know why I just typed that… onto another milestone, chapter 25! Sorry for the shit-long title…

**Chapter 25 – Revisitations and Limitations**

"Where to next, Koschei?"

"Think about it, Theta. _Think about it _while I tie this blindfold around your head."

"Hey! Why the blindfold?"

"I've already told you – think about it. But we'll be mobile throughout this whole adventure, you can be sure of that."

"Now, I like the sound of _that_."

"Knew you would…" the Master said, manoeuvring the TARDIS into the appropriate place.

As they walked through the TARDIS doors, the Doctor's nose twitched, "The air smells damp."

"It would; we're in a basement. Now shush, and let me get you up these steps… it could be a bumpy ride" the Master said, searching to see if all was clear.

As they ascended the steps out of the mysterious basement, the Doctor said, "Okay, I've had bumpier. And the air up here is less damp."

"Are you going to be pointing everything out as we go along? You can't even see and you're still nattering on about your surroundings."

"I can't help it! It's in my nature."

"Yes, well can it be less in your nature? And I meant it when I said _shush_."

"Why, are we in a library? Not that I would mind."

"No, we're not in a library. Do you know a library with this many stairs? And don't answer that." they'd made it up several flights of stairs now, "Now we won't be going up any more stairs today, but you may feel a slight shift in gravitational pull later."

As they made their way to the check-in desk, the Master whispered "The Smiths – we'd like to check in."

"Ah, yes, here's your card key – I hope you don't mind me asking, but why is he blindfolded?" the desk clerk whispered back, handing the card key over.

"It's a surprise for him, and I don't want him knowing 'til we get there." the Master whispered in reply.

"Ah, yes, well I hope you enjoy your stay!" the desk clerk whispered, pointing, "Elevators are over there."

"Koschei… I understand that you want whatever this is to be a surprise, but now I know we're in a rising lift. Where are you taking me?"

"Wait and see!" the Master said as the lift _ding_ed and the doors slid open.

The Doctor felt them walk somewhat 10 paces, and then heard the sound of a door locking mechanism undoing. "When can I see where you've brought me? This is obviously where we stop." he asked as the door was closed.

"Patience, my dear Theta! It's a virtue, as they say…" the Master said, untying the blindfold.

"It's… how is this possible? It's the Cinderella Suite!"

"I know; the place where we had our first time. Do you like it?"

"…It's just like it was when we first came here, I love it!"

"I made sure we materialized exactly a year after we first came here, so I guess you could call this some sort of anniversary." the Master was blushing heavily now.

The Doctor's eyes seemed to focus intently on him, and he put a hand to the Master's flushed cheek, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For _everything_. For being my rock when all I've been is a nuisance, for being there to hold me after Sarah-Jane died, and for being such a wonderful father to our girls. And for being such a wonderful husband; this is the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for me."

"They're one more thing you have to know and decide, and you may not agree with it, but it's your decision. We should probably sit down…"

"Why, what is it?" the Doctor said, now worried.

"No need to panic! It's just… we've always wanted children of our own, haven't we? I mean, children that are biologically both yours and mine?"

"Well, yes, but I don't see what this has to do with our date night."

"It has _everything_ to do with our date night… Theta, now we can _have _our children! We've been given a chance!"

"So what is Amelia then? Just a pawn until we get a child that really is ours, and then we dump her back with Jack?"

"No! It's just… wouldn't it be nice to give her a little brother or sister? I know she wants one."

"How can you know?"

"I told her about you being in heat and she wondered if we could have a baby so she could have a sibling to play with. Says she's not 'only child' material, and I agree with her."

"So… you want more children?"

"Don't you? I know the whole thing about you not liking to be a mother is just an act, and I think you'd be a brilliant mother to our children - you're already great with Amelia. Surely that's proof enough?"

"I… I think I want more children too."

"You _think_? Theta, you either want to have a baby with me or you don't, because once we make the decision to have one we can never go back."

"Koschei, I'm serious. I'm starting to think it might be nice to have a little mixture of the both of us toddling around… I'll be carrying it for nine months and I'll be able to look after it completely once it's born. So I don't _think_ I want us to conceive a child, I _know_."

"Theta… you'll never know what you've given me." the Master replied, tears of happiness now streaking down his face.

"I think I know – I'm going to have it inside me for a while, aren't I?" the Doctor said, also tearful, "Now, shall we make a start on baby making?"

**A/N: **The Doctor's going to be pregnant! And I know some people aren't fond of MPREGs, but I like them. And I wanted those two to have a baby together! I had a long think about it, and this was the best way to go about it. Look forward to lots of a mood-swingy, cravingy Doctor, and the Master worrying about him too much, because it'll be the cutest shit you've ever read. Or the cutest shit I've ever written. Sorry, I won't be shit… I got a bit overexcited, I meant the cutest _storyline_ you've ever read.

How the child was actually conceived will be explained a bit in the start A/N of the next chapter, with lots of medical jargon! Because my ideal job would be to be a nurse or a midwife, and they're two jobs I'll never get :D


	26. The Big Test

**A/N: **Okay, let me explain… WITH SOMEWHAT MADE-UP MEDICAL FACTINESS! Time Lords (in my own little fandom world) can carry a child and give birth to it. How is the child conceived? Well, for a Time Lord in heat, his anus is also his vagina (weird, I know…) and also contains a cervix and whatever else you'd find in a woman's vagina. Now, since a Time Lord's biology is superior to a humans, this superiority extends to the cervix – meaning, if the Time Lord doesn't want to get pregnant, it'll be closed and stay closed during the time when he could get pregnant. And if the Time Lord _does_ want to get pregnant, the cervix will be open to sperm during sexual intercourse, and will be totally efficient in its' job. It's kinda messed up, I know, but it came to me one day and then wouldn't get out of my head so it's the medical jargon I'm using. Oh, and any pregnancy test that works for a woman will also work for a Time Lord, seeing as pregnancy tests don't care about genders. Yeah… I should probably get on with this chapter.

**Chapter 26 – The Big Test**

"Hello, enjoyed your date, did you?" Donna said as he'd walked into his office the next morning. She rolled her eyes when he didn't answer her and said, "Look, I sorry for not telling you about any of it beforehand, I was sworn to secrecy!"

When he didn't answer her for a second time, she knew that something must be up. As she walked into his office, she was met with an unfamiliar sight – the Doctor, puking in the washroom next door.

"Was the food that bad then, or did you get food poisoning?"

He seemed to finally stop projectile vomiting into the toilet long enough to answer her, "Oh, neither. This is probably just morning sickness… but if I'm not expecting – yes, it was the food."

"How can you not know? Surely you can just whip out your sonic screwdriver, scan your belly for a secondary life-form or summink and then you'll know?"

More barfing, succeeded by, "It can't work like that, Donna, I want the time when I find out to be special, and I want it to be with the Master. That's why we're doing a pregnancy test when I get back from work tonight."

"I have one question."

"*HMPF*…"

"Will I get to organise the baby shower?"

"Yes, now leave me be and let me vomit; it'll pass shortly."

"Would you like a glass of water when you're done?"

"Yes…"

"What's the magic word?"

"Yes… *HURK* _please_."

* * *

As he walked into the base cafeteria at lunchtime, the strong smell of all the different foodstuffs hit him and he wretched.

"I made sure that there were some bland and odourless foods on the menu for you," Donna said as they sat at their table, "Apparently everything that usually smells good has a terrible pong when you're pregnant, and everything tastes weird."

"Thanks for reminding me…"

"Oh, don't be like that! Be glad I'm trying to help you through the day whilst still meeting your dietary needs."

"…I'm sorry Donna, I'm just…"

"Worried about the test? Don't be; it's pretty obvious that you're pregnant, even without a pregnancy bump."

"No, it's not just that, it's… I have some new initiatives I'd like to implement in this Torchwood, but I'm not sure how I'm going to incorporate all of them _and _be pregnant at the same time."

"What are you going to do about maternity leave? Jack doesn't know about any of this yet and you're going to have to explain it to him."

"…Let's just wait until we know for sure that I'm pregnant; it would be stupid to tell someone about it and then find out it isn't happening."

"Rubbish! I'm sure that little person inside you would prefer it if everyone were pre-informed, especially it's uncle Jack." she said, smiling at his non-existent pregnancy bump. She'd seen him clutching it protectively on his way in, and knew what it meant even if he didn't – subconsciously, even _he _knew he was pregnant.

"Well… I'll make sure to inform him before I head off home."

* * *

"Jack, can I have a word?"

"Sure Doc, what is it?"

And the Doctor filled him in on his suspected pregnancy.

"So… should I start planning for someone to cover you any time soon?"

"I don't know yet; we're doing a pregnancy test tonight, and we'll see where it goes from there. Donna thinks I could be pregnant, so I'll just have to go with what she says – she is part of the gender of her species that can have babies, after all."

"Just say hypothetically, if you _were_ pregnant – when would it be due?"

"…It was conceived on the 10th, so I'd have to say sometime in February next year. But when we do find out whether or not I'm pregnant, you'll be one of the first to know."

"Glad to hear it. So… how'd you know when you became capable of having kids?"

"At Sarah-Jane's funeral, which is weird. I'd been grouchy all day and it was only 'til late in the evening that I figured it out – Apparently the TARDIS and the Master knew before I did, too. So far today I've been experiencing morning sickness, mood swings, a heightened sense of smell and a faulty sense of taste. These are all symptoms of pregnancy, but I can't be sure until I get home and do the test."

"Well, good luck to ya. But if it is positive, let me offer my congratulations in advance."

"Thanks, Jack."

* * *

"Amelia… do you know why I've been moody these past few days?"

Amelia shrugged, "Dad told me a bit about it… but he didn't explain it to me fully."

"Yeah… I'd recently come into heat, and do you know what that means?"

"Of course I do! I saw it on a nature documentary, it's a period of time when a female of the species is able to have babies," she frowned in thought, "But you're not a girl!"

"Oh Gallifrey, Time Lords went into heat just as Time Ladies did. It meant more broad means of reproduction, but natural reproduction like that had been bred out of our kind centuries ago – obviously it wasn't bred out completely or I wouldn't be sitting here, about to tell you that I might be pregnant."

"You might be pregnant! So…"

"There might be a little brother or sister on the way for you, yes." the Doctor said, beaming.

"Are you going to do a test?"

"Yes, tonight."

* * *

"Well, here it is… To find out if I'm pregnant, all I had to do was wee on a stick. It's supposed to take a minute or two to tell us." the Doctor said, sitting with the Master on their bed.

They stared at the test with bated breath, and suddenly the diagnosis cropped up.

"It's positive. I'm pregnant!" the Doctor exclaimed, excitedly hugging the Master whilst still holding the test.

"Hey, you're going to get your urine everywhere if you fling that thing about anymore!"

"I'm sorry, it's just… I'm pregnant with our child. This is really happening!"

"I know it is." the Master said, putting a hand to the Doctor's face lovingly and pulling him in for a kiss.

As they made love that night, they knew that all was right with the world.

**A/N: **Only 3 pages in OpenOffice, this comes to… it's quite short compared to how far I usually get with the chapters, but I want to end this one on a high note. So! Pregnant Doctor. This is officially an MPREG now, isn't it?


	27. Mornings

**A/N:** So… the Doctor's work day the next day. Because I'm going to get to 30 chapters on this fic if it kills me…

**Chapter 27 – Mornings**

"So how'd it go then?" Donna yelled – she usually called out to him as he went into his office, as it was their morning routine.

His only answer was leaning out the door and giving her a thumbs-up.

"Oh, love, that's brilliant!" Donna exclaimed, leaping out from behind her desk and pulling him in for a hug.

"I know… I've got a little life growing inside of me." the Doctor said, an incredulous grin plastered on his face.

"When can I announce it?"

"Why would you announce it?"

"I've got to announce it, otherwise everyone will be left in the lurch. You, me and Jack aren't the _only _people working in Torchwood, you know! And what are you going to tell UNIT? They're all your responsibility after all."

"I know, and I can get everything sorted out! But yes, you can announce it. You can do a newsletter or whatever you like, not that it'll get read…"

"Forget it. Y'know, Jack's higher up than you, _he_ can tell everyone."

"For all we know he could've told everyone already."

"Then you've nothing to worry about! And if he hasn't, we'll get him to tell everyone. From now on you'll need less stress and more rest, and guess who has to be looking after you while you're here?"

"…I have a horrible feeling it's you."

"20 points to the hormonal Time Lord. Now go take a nap; I can handle everything from here." she pointed to the couch opposite her desk – it was for visitors to use if he was temporarily unavailable.

"I'm not even showing yet!"

"Doesn't matter; you still need to rest."

"No, I _need _to do my job. I promise you, when I look like I'm about to drop down dead I'll take a nap."

* * *

News of the Doctor's pregnancy seemed to have spread like wildfire. Even Jack, who rarely oversaw the Doctor's work in person any more, had come to offer his congratulations (again) and offer that they go out for drinks to celebrate.

"You know I can't have any alcohol in my condition, Jack."

"Fine, Donna and I will be getting drunk while you stay sober with a sissy non-alcoholic drink."

"No. And besides, Donna's planning my baby shower so she's got to stay sober too – she said so herself."

"Shall I celebrate on my own then?"

"I'd join you, but I'm having to go to bed earlier in the night so I can't. And on top of it all, I'm going to be making changes to this Torchwood AND planning Amelia's birthday party, so I _really _can't join you."

"She's 8 this year, huh?"

"Yes, and it's her first birthday with us, so I want it to go smoothly."

"Is there some kind of switch?"

"For what?"

"For 'mother mode'. It's made you boring, and I want to find the off switch."

"Oh, don't be like that! Look, for Amelia's birthday we're taking her for a trip on the TARDIS, and we'd be happy for you to join us."

"Where you thinking of going?"

"We haven't decided yet, but we want it to be a surprise, like her party is."

"Want me to get her out of the house while you two set things up?"

"Thanks. We had been planning to take her to the a museum, but we both need to be at home doing preparations."

"So it's settled, I'll take her."

* * *

By the evening, the Doctor was home. He sat down and read, as he found he didn't have the stamina to do much else. As he started on a first edition of _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, Amelia sat next to him and asked him a question, "What are we doing for my birthday?"

"Jack's going to take you to that museum you've been nagging us about."

"Why not you or dad?"

"We need to get everything ready at home, don't we?"

Amelia was quiet for a few minutes, then exclaimed "You're getting moobs!"

"What?"

"Moobs – they're man-boobs!"

"Well I should have them; the milk production should start early on."

"You're going to be breastfeeding?"

"It's the best thing for the baby."

Amelia smiled, "Do you think it's going to be a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know yet, sweetheart, we haven't gone for our ultrasound yet – and anyway, it would be too early to tell if we scanned it now."

"But your belly's going to get bigger and you'll be able to know by then. Are your moobs gonna get bigger too?"

"Yes, now stop going on about my breasts and let me read."

* * *

As the Doctor went along with his life, he discovered he wanted to stay in bed more and more every morning – this morning was worse, and he'd nearly been late for work.

"Sorry, got delayed!" he yelled as he walked into his office that morning.

"Had a lay-in, more like!"

the Doctor winced, realizing that Donna probably knew of his sleeping troubles. "I can't get to sleep properly at night – I find myself waking up every five minutes," he sighed irritably, finding no solace in telling Donna of his problems, "by the time I get to sleep it's already time to wake up."

"I'll talk to Martha and see if she can prescribe something for your insomnia – but for now I want you to take a nap like I told you to do the other day, you're in no fit state to do any work now."

As he'd went to lie down, Donna decided to make a phone call.

"Jack, it's Donna," she whispered into the phone, "When is the Doctor taking maternity leave?"

"We haven't decided on that yet, why'd you ask?"

"Because I think he needs to take it very soon. He was late in this morning and still looks dead on his feet – I've had to get him to take a nap. I tried to get him to yesterday but he wouldn't do it, and now he's crashed out on the settee without a word's protest."

"Yeah, that does sound rough – and he's never been one to sleep allot. I'll try to have a word with him about it after work."

"Thanks – and you _are_ invited to the baby shower, if you're wondering."

* * *

"Oh… how long have I been sleeping?" the Doctor said as awoke groggily on the sofa.

"3 hours." he barely registered the sound of Donna's voice, but it made it through his sleep-addled mind.

"3 hours!" he exclaimed, sitting up abruptly.

"Oh, don't worry. Jack knows and I've been handling everything. You feeling any better?"

"I–" he could not finish his sentence as he ran into the washroom, being sick in the first available toilet.

"Morning sickness still happening, huh?" she said, walking into the room, crouching down and rubbing soothing circles into his back – it was what was always done when morning sickness came about on the telly, "Look, I've cleared it with Jack and he agrees with me; maybe you should just take the rest of the day off."

"What? I've got to work–*HURK*"

"You're in no state to work. I've called the Master to bring the TARDIS to pick you up – and don't you dare whinge about it, you know it's what's best for you."

"I'm actually starting to think going home wouldn't be so bad…" he said as his vomiting seemed to stop.

"You'll thank me for it later."

* * *

"Oh, old girl… how I missed you." the Doctor said, stroking the time rotor forlornly.

The TARDIS hummed her appreciation, flying back into the vortex. He felt the console vibrate under his hand for a moment, and thought that something must be wrong.

"What's going on with the TARDIS?"

"As you know, you two are connected in that pilot/vessel bond thing. In a way, she feels what you feel, and vice versa. You're feeling ill, so she feels somewhat the same."

The Doctor recognized the TARDIS in a new light, "It's okay girl… we'll get through this together." he murmured soothingly, hearing the TARDIS' hum relax a bit, and in return began feeling relaxed himself.

"Look, Koschei… I thought, instead of staying on Earth for Amelia, we could… take her on her first real trip on the TARDIS? And it'll be easy with both of us piloting her." the Doctor looked upon him hopefully.

"…I've been thinking much the same."

"You have?" the Doctor asked, flabbergasted.

"I think it'll be nice for her to see the universe with us… but then I think of the implications of taking a small jeopardy-friendly child and showing her the universe, and of how much danger we'll be putting her in."

The Doctor sighed exasperatedly, "She won't be in any danger if we stick together."

"She will be; you companions have always wandered off. Swap the companion for a little girl with a shorter attention-span and you get the scenario that's going to happen. She'll wander off and get in trouble and it will be all our fault."

"It won't be like that!"

The Master leaned forward on the tips of his feet, looking the Doctor in the eye, "Ask her to."

"Ask who what?"

"Ask the TARDIS to take us where we _want _to go. Haven't you noticed she always takes us where we need to go rather than where we want?"

"Oh, come on! Give me _one _example of that ever happening."

The Master leaned forward some more, "Rio."

"Oh yes, bring that one out of the bag why don't you! I'm sorry, but when I saw that big miney thing I just couldn't help but be interested."

"Yes, _and _you left me behind. I wanted to go to Rio de Janeiro to see a carnival, and you land us in Wales in the 21st Century and go gallivanting off and interfering with things that don't concern you. Meanwhile I'm stuck in the Welsh countryside being mistaken for a undercover police officer. I don't like Wales, it's foreign ground for me!"

"Why are we arguing?"

The Master zoned out for a moment and then said, "Because you're my pregnant husband, you're really hormonal and really beautiful and I really want you."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "You could've just said."

"No I couldn't! Could I really just go up to you and say 'Hello dear, you're glowing with health. Want to have sex?'. No, because you're sick and tired and getting bigger and I didn't want to assume that you'd want sex too. I was being sensitive towards your jumbled up feelings, if I'd just got you to have sex you could be really upset or end up hating me because I didn't care that you weren't up for it."

"So… you were putting my feelings before your own?"

"_Everyone_ is now, Doctor. One minute you could be quite happy and the next you could be bawling your eyes out, I don't want to take any chances."

The Doctor mulled this over for a few minutes, and then turned to him and said, "You think I'm getting fat!"

**A/N: **Shit, this chapter is already four pages long in OpenOffice… Well, this chapter has taken me a long time to write, and I can't ever finish one of these chapters without getting to four pages; that's when I know my chapters are long enough.


	28. Bedtime

**A/N: **So… nearly at chapter 30! I'm so excited about it, but I still have a few chapters to go before I can type it up. I think this'll be a short A/N… that's a rarity for me.

**Chapter 28 - Bedtime**

***BZZT*** ***BZZT***

The Doctor gazed half-heartedly at the alarm clock, clicking the snooze button with a lethargic hand. It was 7:30, and he remembered it was the weekend and he'd had no reason to set the alarm.

He felt the warmth of the Master emanating all over him, and he realized that the Master must have held him with his (the Doctor's) back to him all night, and he put his hand over the Master's – right over his rapidly growing bump. He tried, in vain, to fall back into sleep, but he soon figured it was a fruitless endeavour and got up to get some breakfast.

"Amelia?" he said when he walked downstairs and saw she was also awake.

"Couldn't stop thinking about the baby. You?"

"Similar; seems this one wouldn't let me go back to sleep after my alarm woke me." he replied, patting his pregnancy bump. It came so naturally to him that he didn't even realize he'd done it.

As they sat down to their morning meal – his was weetabix and hers was coco pops – Amelia asked him, "What do you think you'll name it if it's a girl?"

"I've been thinking… Sarah-Jane. Perhaps Janey for short."

"What are you going to name it if it's a boy?"

The Doctor imagined it – a little boy, a little mixture of himself and the Master, who would surely inherit his mother's intelligence and kindness, and would no doubt inherit his father's talents for cunning and mischief making. Yes, he would love a little boy, but for some reason his mind told him the baby he was carrying was a girl, so he hadn't put much thought into boys names.

"I don't know, sweetheart. I'm thinking this one'll be a girl."

"But off the top of your head, what would you call it if it turned out to be a boy?"

"Sorry, but we'll be able to know at the 6 week scan what gender it is, so we can decide then on names."

They both sat quietly for a few minutes, having already finished their breakfast, Amelia asked, "Who're you inviting to your baby shower?"

"Does it matter? You already know you're coming."

"Yes, but that's not what I meant. Anyone from this road, or from work?"

"Martha's coming, and I said she can bring whomever she likes, but I doubt she'll bring anyone from work." he smiled, "Look, if you're so interested in my work, there's a 'bring your child to work day' coming up. Now, I can't bring Jenny because she's too old and I can't bring this baby because I have to bring it with me wherever I go anyhow, so that leaves the job open to you."

* * *

The day had come (it was the Monday after the same weekend) and Amelia and the Doctor were getting prepared.

"Do you want to be the prettiest girl at work or not?" the Doctor said, waving a comb in front of her face.

"Yes…"

"Well then let me comb your hair." he found he liked coming her hair – there were rarely any knots in it, and it was a very soothing task for both him and the baby, "There – now you're fit to go anywhere."

The drive to work was relatively quiet, even with a child in the back seat, he noticed. There were children everywhere at work – ranging from 2 to teenage. One boy – Rory Williams – was around the same age as Amelia, and looked to her for guidance on the simplest tasks. The Doctor couldn't help but find it adorable; must be the hormones kicking in, he reasoned. Rory turned out to be Martha's godson, who stuck to her constantly throughout the day, whining if 'Auntie Martha' disappeared.

"Mum…?" he found Amelia looking at him with her 'I-really-want-something-but-am-trying-to-be-inconspicious-about-it' look.

"What is it, sweetheart? And no, I'm _not_ taking you to see all the aliens artefacts we've got locked up."

"It's not about that! Can I have a sleepover with Rory?"

"Did you ask Martha?"

"Yeah, but she said to ask you first." Amelia said, giving him a pleading face.

He pretended to hesitate, "At the weekend – then there's two adults at home."

* * *

"I was thinking curry tonight…"

"And?"

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"Yes you do; chips means you're feeling unloved. Curry means you've got something to tell me that I might not like. Is it anything to do with the baby?"

"No, nothing to do with the baby! Why would you think that? No, it's to do with Amelia. Remember I had to bring her to work with me today?"

"How could I forget? She's been bragging about it since before you two got home."

"She became friends with a boy today at work and… they want to have a sleepover. Here."

"Isn't it good that she's made a friend?"

The Doctor facepalmed exasperatedly, "A friend – who is a _boy_ – who can easily find out who we are; I wouldn't be surprised if she's already told him."

"We can trust her with our secret, she knows not to tell anyone."

"Yes, but I just know he'll discover the TARDIS sooner or later – who couldn't? It's a big blue 1950s police box, it must look out of place in a Earth garage."

"Why don't we just tell him?"

"What?"

"If we can trust one child with our secret, I'm sure we can trust another. And he's a bit older than Amelia – I'm sure he can comprehend the full intensity of the universe if she can."

He was shocked when the Doctor pulled his hand to his stomach, "It's kicking… it's been doing that for a while now, but usually when I'm at work."

The Master was momentarily speechless, and had to blink away the tears as he rasped out, "How many weeks?"

"Nearly six." the Doctor replied, beaming stupidly at him.

"We'll be able to see our baby soon, right?"

"Yes. Are you happy?"

"Of course I am! Aren't you?"

The Doctor sat down next to him, "I don't think I could be happier – well, not until our little one is born, I don't think. And have you noticed the morning sickness passed? Now I just have to get used to getting bigger until the 9 month mark."

"Then you have to shift the baby weight."

"Don't ruin the moment."

* * *

"Thanks, Martha."

"It's okay – I think this is the first time he's actually looking forward to being taken away from me." she bent down to her godson, "Now, look, Rory, you have to be on your very best behaviour, because you're a guest in Doctor Smith's house. Understand?"

"Yes, Auntie Martha. Are you and Doctor Smith _super doctors_?"

The Doctor and Martha exchanged a glance, and she laughed, "Oh, to be under ten years of age again."

"That's a long way back for me, I'm afraid. Alright, let's get you inside."

* * *

"Boadicea, you hath no armies! Surrender now or face the might of Quintus Arrius!"

"What are you two playing?"

"Boadicea and the Romans."

the Doctor grinned, "But there's only one Roman here and he wets the bed."

Rory pouted, "Auntie Martha told you that in confidence!"

"Alright, enough pretending to be medieval characters, you two; bedtime." the Master said, exchanging a knowing look with the Doctor.

Eventually the two children were settled in bed, and the two adults decided to talk to Rory, "Rory, do you know anything about aliens? Because you know, they exist."

The little boy's eyes widened, and he looked over to Amelia for support. She just shrugged.

"In fact… we're aliens ourselves. Don't be alarmed, but… we stay on Earth for Amelia's sake."

"…Do you have a spaceship?"

The two adults shared a smirk – little boys always went for the subject of the spaceship, "Yes, we have a spaceship – it can also travels in time, and she's called the TARDIS."

"Can I go see?"

"Maybe tomorrow – it _is _past your bedtime."

**A/N: **Because I love Rory and he's too cute to leave out of the story… and I think they're going to have their 6-week scan in the next chapter! Seriously, chapter 29 is the one to read, I'm constantly urging myself to put it up. Chapter 29 is called 'Rise and Fall', and it's got a serious mix of emotions and I can't wait to add it.


	29. Rise and Fall

**A/N:** Is it six weeks already? I think I can just say it is because I'm the writer. Another short A/N, obviously. Oh, and 'gamete' is the scientific term for a sex cell, e.g. the sperm or the ovum (egg).

**Chapter 29 – Rise and Fall**

For the both of them, it felt largely like being summoned to the headmasters office after a particularly good 'experiment' with certain chemicals. Only with gametes instead – namely the Master's sperm and the Doctor's eggs. The Doctor was feeling queasy; he was starting to regret forgoing breakfast that morning. He was also very uncomfortable – he'd explained that he needed to have a full bladder for the ultrasound to be its clearest, but he now understood why women always looked uneasy before their scans. He was glad that Martha was his performing his ultrasound, because he'd have felt unsafe with a complete stranger doing the procedure.

"Dr Smith, Sonography is this way." said the rather helpful attending nurse – Freya, he thought her name was, although he could be mistaken.

The gel was lathered on his belly, which felt funny if he was honest – but the sight of his baby changed everything. He clasped the Master's hand in his, and saw that he was crying. He wiped away the tears from his husband's face, and then noticed that his own face was damp from emotion.

And then he noticed Martha looking worriedly at the screen, and then she went outside to consult a colleague. He cried out for answers, but it felt like no-one could hear him, least of all his husband. It felt like all energy had drained from his body; he, in a sense, couldn't feel anything but worry and grief, couldn't see for the pain he was feeling. He had drawn into himself, thinking there were complications and his child had died – and then Martha walked in with her colleague, like a ray of sunshine, and the two studied the screen, finally coming to the same conclusion, whatever their conclusion was.

"Doctor?" she'd only walked a way for a minute – she hadn't been able to believe what she was seeing, but a second opinion had confirmed her diagnosis, and it was like the Doctor had thought the worst and had a complete breakdown in the chair. She waved a hand in front of the glazed eyes, pleased when the Doctor seemed to wake out of it. "It's nothing bad – quite the contrary, I think." She felt him relax a bit, but only a bit.

"What is it, Martha?" he was shaking – he found it was the only way to keep some semblance of self-control.

"You're not having one baby."

"What am I having then, one giraffe?" he snapped dryly.

"You're having triplets."

Both prospective parents gasped – they had created _three _new little people. The Doctor began beaming, and found he couldn't stop. The flow of tears had stopped, and he was no longer numb – he felt pure happiness coursing through his body and it felt good. He was going to be a mother to three new children, and he couldn't be happier.

The Master wasn't as controlled as his mate was; his tears were still flowing freely, but now they were only joyful and he pulled the Doctor into an embrace at Martha's words. He had fathered _three_ children, and the Doctor was going to be their mother, and they were the biological combination of both of them. He could imagine it now – what if one of them was a boy? Or indeed, all of them. Three intelligent little boys or girls who would be everything their parents were, and he imagined a little boy with platinum blond hair and the Doctor's cheeky grin, but his own blazing eyes. And a little girl, with flowing red hair and the Doctor's deep brown eyes – chocolate brown, he'd always thought. Maybe another little boy, a redhead with his smile and the Doctor's boisterous sense of right and wrong. Three children who would be brought up like their parents never were – three children who would be _safe_ and _loved_.

They were both speechless as they thought about it, but then the Doctor cuddled his belly – containing three developing foetuses who would need to be kept safe in his womb for the foreseeable future. The bump was clearly visible now, and it left him wondering when he could start taking time off to prepare for the babies' arrival.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Amelia exclaimed as they walked through the door.

"Triplets – we're having triplets." the Doctor replied gleefully.

Amelia's jaw dropped, "Three babies! You're having three babies?" she poked his belly, "Won't they take up all the room?"

"I assume so – they all have to grow in there." He slipped a hand over his rapidly increasing bump – yes, he'd be able to sense their beings soon, he could already feel their growing aura in his womb. Soon enough he'd be able to sense three new Gallifreyan lives in the universe and distinguish them from one another. He ran upstairs, realizing he'd forgotten to have a wee after the scan and was now bursting.

The Master and Amelia looked at one another with smiles on their faces,

"Good job, I guess… One of you must be really fertile for that to happen."

"You know, sometimes you're too intelligent for your own good." he said, picking her up much to her delight.

"Hey!" she snapped, bringing him to face her, "Buy me a drink first."

"You've been spending too much time with Uncle Jack. Alright, teatime!" He exclaimed, running into the kitchen with the little girl in his arms.

As the Doctor walked in on them, (after a particularly long toilet break), he was surprised to see them playing with puff pastry and sausages.

"I'm trying to teach her how to make sausage rolls, but she's not having any of it." the Master said in his defence.

"Watch you don't end up swooning, mum – you won't end up in his arms, you'll end up in pig guts." Amelia laughed.

"Who said I'll be swooning today? I may be a pregnant man in a previously-unknown euphoria, but I'm certainly no wuss."

"Just don't do anything strenuous – I don't want our babies endangered before they've even plopped out of you." the Master said, hugging him – quite aware of the now-very-obvious pregnancy bump between them, "You're carrying _our three children_." the Master said, sounding as if he didn't quite believe it yet.

"I know; it's allot to get used to, but now I'm eating for four – so what's for tea?"

"We just said – we're making sausage rolls."

"I'll make sure to have my first aid kit to hand – goodness knows we're gonna need it."

* * *

As the Master climbed into bed with his husband that night, he said, "Doctor, do you think we should start decorating the nursery soon?"

"Why'd you ask?"

"I just feel like you're doing all the work with our babies, and I want to be of _some_ use."

"Do you even know how to use a paintbrush – or put up wallpaper?"

"Hey, I can learn! And you're hardly in any condition to do these things yourself." the Master said, instantly regretting it.

"Oh, thanks for caring, but I'm pregnant, not an invalid!" the Doctor cried, turning on the bed so his back was to him.

"Oh, that's not what I meant and you know it! It's just you're carrying our babies and I have to watch from sidelines when all I want is to keep you safe and to feel useful – even when I'm probably no use at all."

"For me, it just feels like I was a sperm donor and I don't get a word in. I just ejaculate and your body does the rest – releasing eggs, getting them fertilized, helping them grow and survive for 9 months and all I had to do was provide half the biological data."

"Koschei, I… didn't know you felt like this."

"And why would you? I'm only your husband, mate and the father of our children!"

"Koschei, let's not fight," the Doctor said, grabbing the Master's hands in his, "You've already done enough – you made me pregnant with our offspring. It's… it's beautiful, and I love you for it – but I think I'd love you more if you actually told me calmly how you feel instead of letting us get into a big row about it. You're a wonderful father – to both our girls, and I'm sure you'll be a brilliant dad to our babies once they're born. You've got to stop doubting everything, and you need to know that you _can_ talk to me; we're married, aren't we?"

"This has nothing to do with our marriage and you know it. I need time to think… I'm going out." the Master said, wrenching his hands from the Doctors' grasp and grabbing his coat from a hanger nearby.

"Where? Are you going to take the TARDIS?"

The Master turned to face him, "Do you really expect me to go to the other end of the universe because I need some space? No, I'm just going for a walk; I don't know when I'll be back."

"Oh, I was just saying… you know, you can use the TARDIS if you want to. A trip in the old girl always helps me to sort my head out when everything's getting a bit difficult."

"You do that then; I'm looking for something a little more _grounded_."

The Doctor heard the click of the front door closing, and then collapsed onto the bed, sobs racking his body, and he rubbed his belly reassuringly as his babies kicked out at the disappearance of their father.

**A/N: **Wow… didn't expect it to go in this direction. Can any of you tell how much emotion I poured into this chapter? The title of this chapter is meant to represent the torturous moodswings the Doctor is subjected to – one minute he's having his best day ever and the next, his wonderful little world is crashing down around him… I'm quite mean, aren't I? And I thought this chapter would have a happy ending… of course, chapter 30 will because I don't like it if they're mad at each other for too long.

And, of course, I'm not doing a block update this time – I really want to get chapter 29 up but I also want to leave a bit of suspense so no chapter 30 until I get more than two reviews for this chapter! It was 3 months to my birthday yesterday, because it was the 24th yesterday and my birthday is on… eh, you lot figure it out and send me birthday cards in September.


	30. Point of View

**A/N: **Chapter 30… a chapter of reconciliation, methinks. And if you don't know what reconciliation means, go find a thesaurus or something and hopefully that'll tell you better than I can. And please review! I feel like all the fans of this fic have left it otherwise. Alternate titles for this chapter: 'Maternity' and 'Thrill of the New'.

I was going to put this chapter up on the 30th (if you can figure out why), but I couldn't wait – I'm a slave to reviews! You people better review for all it's worth... There are (not counting A/N's) over 2000 words, amounting to over 10'000 letters. (Gotta love the wordcount tool in OpenOffice!) I've noticed a sudden influx of reviews after chapter 28, I can only hope it continues.

**Chapter 30 – Point of View**

After his moment of self-pity and self-loathing (and general self-hate), the Doctor picked up the phone on his bedside table and dialled a number.

"Jack, is this you?" the Doctor said, trying the keep the quiver out of his voice. He failed.

"Well yeah, unless you've dialled a wrong number. Are you alright? You sound kinda shaken up."

"I don't know… I mean I don't know if I'm alright, I just need a friend with me and Donna's probably asleep and Martha's probably working…"

"Say no more; although I don't know how I'm gonna get to you in under a minute."

"I'll give you the codes to get your vortex manipulator working again, and I'll give you my coordinates – unless you already know the coordinates to my house?"

"How could I not? And are you going to tell me what's going on when I get there?"

"Yes, I just… don't want to be alone right now."

He placed the phone back on the receiver, and put his face in his hands.

* * *

He'd been walking for what must have been half-an-hour – he just wished his mind was clear so he could properly gauge the timespan of his walk. He decided to turn back on a whim, and as he made it back to Bannerman Road he encountered his ever-cheerful neighbour, Gita Chandra. He'd begun to wonder if she acted this way to extract the juiciest gossip, or if she really was that cheerful deep down. He'd started to think it was the former.

"Out for a spot of late-night gardening, I see."

"Oh, removing the caterpillars from me roses – I always do it at nighttime, it's lovely to watch the stars while you're doing it." she said in her usual _enigmatic_ fashion, but he had to admire her for her love of stargazing, "Harresh says I'll get myself hurt out here in the dark, but I've got me torch with me!" she met his eyes, "I sense you're not in the mood for my ramblings – that you've got something on your mind. Is it you and your beau?"

He'd also begun to expect some humans were very psychic, "We… had a row, and I walked out. He's got this… long-term job that he needs to do on his own, and I want to help him through it, only I can't because it's not biologically possible. We had a row about it, and as I walked out the door I heard him break down and cry… I thought a walk would sort my head out, but it seems to have only made it worse. His _job_ leads him to become… very emotional, and I never know when it's going to happen but he can't stop it himself. I love him for what he's doing, but… I don't know how I can speak to him again."

"Can't he just quit his job if it's putting a strain on you two, what is it?"

"If I told you, you'd think me mad. Unless… but he would kill me. No, it's a stupid idea."

"What is?"

"You should probably get back to your… caterpillars. I imagine they'll have devoured half the leaves by now."

"No! Whatever it is, I want to know about it, if it'll help you explain." he couldn't help but think that well… damn, when she's determined, she's sure determined.

"Okay – but we'll have to be _sneaky_."

Her face lit up at that, "Sneaky's my middle name!"

"Really? Mine's Theodore – don't tell anyone if you can help it."

* * *

"Thanks Jack, I…" he found he couldn't finish his sentence, staring into his mug of tea embarrassedly.

"Hey, no problem; how's your kids?"

"They've calmed down – for now. And sorry for not telling you; I haven't even told Donna."

"Yeah, she knows too. Never imagined Martha to be the type to spread gossip. So what's this all about?"

"Oh, he doubts his abilities as a father, wants to be a part of this pregnancy as much as I am – some things I never expected from him. I guess I expected him to want to stick by me, but he's a brilliant father, and he shouldn't doubt himself. But he does and I have to go picking up the pieces of his shattered self-esteem – only his isn't the only that's shattered this time, with the way I am right now. I suppose I should have expected us to have a row about it at one point – I just never imagined it would hurt as much as it does." he said, stirring through the tea although the sugar was long dissolved.

"Think about it from his point of view. Has he ever had a baby?"

"No…?"

"Then he's got reason enough to be doubtful; children he can handle, but he's never raised a baby before, let alone three at once. He's just trying to be the best he can, and it may not make sense to you just yet, but the time when you're pregnant is limited, and he wants it to last – heck, every dad does but it's gotta end sometime."

He thought about it – He had to go through all the pain, but the process as a whole was beautiful and the Master knew it; there were pros and cons to everything in life, but he guessed that when the Master got home he'd have to get him to see _his_ side of the story.

"Thanks for listening, Jack, but… I think I'm okay now."

"You sure? Because I can stay over."

"No, I'm sure… it wouldn't be very fitting for the Master to come home to see his pregnant husband cosying up to another man – goodness knows what will happen."

* * *

"Okay, Gita – this is highly confidential and top secret, so no telling anyone about this once it's over – not even your husband. Okay, if he's an open-minded bloke I guess we can tell him, but nobody else!" and he opened the blue doors.

"It's…"

"Bigger on the inside? Yes, I noticed." he began to feel the same elation and pride that the Doctor felt when introducing new companions to the TARDIS, and it was like another piece of what was his husband had fallen into place in his mind. It was the thrill of the new – every reaction, while similar, was completely different, and wonderfully refreshing. A person's awe at the wonderful time machine, it made you wish you could relive it all again.

"…What is it?"

"It's the TARDIS – that stands of Time And Relative Dimension In Space. My husband and I are aliens – friendly ones, as you see, not all aliens are out to conquer or invade. We are Time Lords from the planet Gallifrey. You remember those Daleks that used to be all over the place?"

She gave a shaky, "Yeah."

"Our species – the Time Lords – used to be at war with the Daleks. Of course, we got rid of them all, but at a price; the rest of our species perished as well in the end, and I'm afraid to say my husband and I are the only Time Lords left. But we love each other, and there's this miraculous thing about Time Lord biology – both females _and _males can be pregnant."

"And… your husband is pregnant?"

"With triplets."

Gita's face lit up again – he though it look rather like a light-up plastic Santa Claus finally working, "Oh, congratulations, love!"

"Yes… I suppose everyone shall be congratulating him when he goes to work; our friend, Martha, performed the ultrasound and they work in the same place; no doubt it'll have gotten around by now, but I don't mind if it means _we _don't have to tell everyone."

"But you're happy about it, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then what's the problem?"

He thought about it. Honestly, it was just that he'd thought the Doctor should be allowing himself to be looked after more and it had wounded his male pride when the Doctor didn't. He thought about it, and it probably seemed to the Doctor like he was trying to rap him up in cotton wool, but he was really just being a concerned husband and father – but he supposed he could have gone about it better.

The Doctor was right; the TARDIS _did_ help sort the head out. He felt an appreciative hum in the back of his mind; no doubt the TARDIS thanking him for the compliment, and urging him to sort things out the Doctor.

"Think about it from his point of view – he's probably worried sick that you've gotten yourself hurt, but I bet all the hormones aren't helping. Wanna go sort things out?" what Gita was saying made allot of sense – for once.

* * *

"Theta… are you in here…?" the Master said, closing their bedroom door behind him.

He was surprised when the Doctor jumped on him from behind, "I don't want to fight anymore, Koschei… but I have some things to tell you that you might not like, because they're about the bad parts of pregnancy."

"I have some things to tell you too… and I'm sorry for the argument, and I'm sorry for my doubts; I just want to look after you and feel like you aren't letting me. And don't you dare say you're sorry too, because it's your hormones fault."

"I'm sorry too… I really am, and you can't blame the hormones for everything." he brought the Master over to sit them on the bed, "Although they are a hindrance at times; for instance, at some point they will cause my… libido to increase. It'll pass, but I guess we'll just have to try and enjoy it while it lasts. Now, morning sickness – it's already happened, as you know, but it's a good thing; it shows a healthy level of the HGC hormone, a hormone important to the growth of the babies. Now, there'll be lots of back pain on my part, and that's just my back preparing for the birth. And everything will be getting bigger and swollen; my belly, my ankles, my fingers, my breasts – and the last one isn't a bad thing, if you think about it, because I get to breastfeed and you get a new part of me to play with, and stop smirking like that, get your mind out of the gutter right now. I think the worst of it is, that what Amelia said is true."

"What?"

"They _will_ take up all the room – and they'll be born early. Somewhere around 7 months, I should say, but I can't pinpoint exactly when the due date will be, because there could always be complications along the way; having a miscarriage, one of them having a deformity, one of them getting hurt and then dying inside of me, the list is endless and I'd rather not dwell on it. Just know that what that whatever happens, I will always love you, and when our babies are born I think I'll love you even more." the Doctor smiled then, and it finally reached his eyes. "I don't want to argue with you, _ever_, and if I do I just want you to tell me to stop and breathe because I don't want us to fall apart." he took a deep breath, "See? I'm getting worked up and we haven't even started rowing yet."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to start taking my maternity leave early – I want to be with you and Amelia more now, and I'm sure I can work from home for a while until the babies arrive. I also want to get all the preparations underway; the nursery, the toys and books they'll need for their development, the baby things we'll need that are adaptable for travel, as I'm sure we'll need. As well as the nursery in our home on Earth, I'm hoping to install a nursery on the TARDIS – the installation should be easy once the old girl has all my ideas for it."

"But your work–!"

"Most of it can be done at home, and I'm sure Jack can arrange a locum for me while I'm away. The more my maternal instincts kick in, the more I miss being at home with you two."

"I'm not going to talk you out of this, am I?" the Master said, smiling ruefully.

"Nope." the Doctor said, popping the 'p'.

"Good; I want you home too, rather than putting yourself and our babies in danger at Torchwood."

"I have a feeling this is going to become another argument. Can we just go to sleep?"

"Yeah." the Master said, turning out the light and crawling under the covers next to the Doctor.

"I do have one question for you, though." the Doctor said, his curious expression and twinkling eyes unmistakeable in the dark.

"Hmm?"

"Why have you gotten into bed with your day clothes on instead of your pyjamas?"

**A/N: **I had originally intended for the Master to have his say too, but then I forgot what he was going to say. Also, can't I have Jack comforting his dear old friend? I know what you're all thinking – that Jack hopes there's more to it than that, but he doesn't; he knows that when the Doctor's upset it's best to just help him with it. Although feel free to come up with your own innuendos for the situation, peeps, I'd love something to give me a giggle right about now. I'd say this has been a very uneventful chapter; the Doctor was comforted by Jack and didn't tell the Master, the Master showed Gita the TARDIS and didn't tell the Doctor. It's deception all round! With a side order of betrayal, yum…

Also, it ended the way I did because I wrote the Master getting into bed and suddenly [and rightfully] thought 'shouldn't I write him putting his pyjamas on first?' (get ALL your minds out of the gutter, peeps.) and then I thought something along the lines of 'sod it, I've done enough and that's an end to it.' and wrote the Doctor asking him why. Nice piece of trivia for you all… please review!


	31. Truth

**A/N:** I think I started writing this chapter after I did really well on my English exam. Weird, huh? Yeah, so… this chapter is a bit off, even by my standards, but it's been sitting in my document manager long enough.

**Chapter 31 – Truth**

"Wake up, wake up!"

"Five more minutes…"

"No, mum! You've got to get up; it's my birthday!"

At this, the Doctor shot up like a rake.

"Can you two keep it down? Some of us are still trying to SLEEP here." they heard the Master mumble under the duvet.

"Okay Amelia, I think daddy's had enough – can you start without us?"

As she jumped off the bed and went downstairs, the Doctor turned to the other person in the bed, "You know, I wasn't finished talking last night – I still have a few things to say that don't specifically pertain to the babies."

The Master was awake at this, "What is it?"

"Nothing bad – it actually relates more to work than anything else. Firstly, I have to tell you that last night when you left, I… I was so upset that I called Jack and he came over. We talked things through, and he helped me see how you felt, so don't be angry with him for being my shoulder to cry on when you weren't there. One of the things we talked about was my maternity leave; I've decided that, as of next week I'll be taking it. It'll give me time to get the nursery and all the other baby things sorted out ahead of time, and I'll have more time with you and Amelia – and Donna did say something about a baby shower, but I suppose now she'll be making me have a leaving do as well and I'll just have to go along with it. Of course, for the first few months I'll be working from home – it still means I'll get to spend time with my family, but it also means I can still spearhead a new initiative I've been working on – it's so secret that I'm the one of the only people who know about it, and right now I don't like keeping secrets."

"What is this getting to…?"

"I'm going to make Torchwood public – of course, not in the sense that I'll be giving out all our secrets and making sure guided tours are on the schedule, but just in the sense that people know it's there – kind of like alien policing, in a way. These days the human race is so tetchy about visitors from other planets, and I want them to know that some aliens are merely friendly or curious – like me for instance, and that the whole universe isn't out to invade and conquer. I also want to be able to tell people besides our friends that I'm pregnant, because the neighbours are going to notice eventually and then the crap's really going to hit the fan." he noticed the Master shift uncomfortably under the duvet at this point, "What's wrong?"

"Don't be alarmed but… one of our neighbours knows already."

The Doctor paled visibly, "Who?"

"Gita Chandra. While I was out we got talking, and I just wanted to get it off my chest so much – so I knew the only way I could get her to believe me was to show her the TARDIS, and I know it was stupid but she really helped and I'm sorry."

The Doctor thought about this and said, "So we're both guilty of wanting everything to be out in the open; is that strictly a bad thing? So I'll talk to Jack about my ideas while you check on Gita to make sure she hasn't caused mass panic throughout the whole of London."

"She's not _that_ naïve, and she and her husband have met aliens before; Judoon."

"Just _do it_."

* * *

"Hello Doctor – did you two sort things out? What are you hoping for with…?" he pointed to the baby bump.

"Yes, we did, thanks – and I don't no what I'm hoping for yet, I want it to be a surprise but I think the Master really knows what he wants – I can tell when he's thinking about it."

"So you're a sentimental old fool and he's a visionary – you two go well together." Jack smirked – it was his I-know-what-you-got-up-to-last-night smirk.

"Jack, stop looking at me like that – we did nothing of the sort. We just talked and went to bed, nothing sexual of any kind."

"You going frigid on him?"

"Jack!"

"Well, make-up sex is the best sex – and I find it hard to believe that you didn't do it, so there must be a reason you didn't."

"We were both tired, end of story."

"Did you even kiss last night?"

The Doctor paused, "No, and not this morning either actually."

"So it's him who's going frigid?"

"Jack, I'm not talking about this anymore! Please, just… did you consider my proposal?"

"Yep, considered it."

"And…?"

"You can go ahead with it; I've always thought this place is too secretive anyhow. I even know the best way to get this stuff out in the open."

The Doctor's jaw dropped, "How?"

"Make a national public broadcast over the TV and internet – heck, even the government and UNIT are rooting for you. Everyone watches TV these days, and those who don't are on the internet, you'll do great – I'll make sure there's someone on before you to brief the country about the situation, like 'there's an alien saving us from alien invasions and he's about to have babies'."

"Thanks – it's the best way, I suppose."

* * *

"Donna, do you think I'm attractive?"

She gave him an appalled look.

"No, that's not what I meant – do you think the Master still finds me attractive?"

"Well, the proof is in the pudding; when was the last time you two had sex?"

The Doctor blushed profusely, "Well… after we found out I was pregnant, I think." tears welled up in his eyes, "Oh god! He finds me disgusting now, doesn't he!"

"No, he's just…" she tried to reassure him, "Look, why don't you get home and have this out with him if you're so worried about it? And when he's either shagged your brains out or turned down sexual intercourse with you for life, we can start planning your baby shower."

* * *

"Blow out the candles, sweetheart!"

"I know what I'm doing!" Amelia said – then she leant a bit too far and took in a flame.

"People who know what they're doing don't generally _eat_ the object of what they're trying to do." the Doctor said over her shoulder.

The cake was eaten (it was a chocolate caterpillar cake), the presents were unwrapped, and Amy gave Rory a present in return – after which he became flushed, said something about needing a wee and ran off as his cheeks got redder, and as Amelia's girly friends giggled at his retreating form.

* * *

"Koschei… do you still find me attractive?"

"Why d'you ask?" the Master said, not looking up from his current book.

"We haven't had sex in a while; even make-up sex after we argue."

"Maybe you haven't been acting sexy in a while."

"What?"

"You heard me. There's no way you could be more attractive to me right now, you're gorgeous, but I haven't been getting any signals that I can respond to."

"So, if I asked you…"

"If you even _winked_ at me I'm sure we'd end up having sex, but for a while now you've been falling flat in the enticement department, and I can't be held responsible if you haven't wanted to have sex. You and I both know what signals you're supposed to send – I haven't been getting any but I'm sure I've been sending plenty."

"So you want to have sex and I haven't given you any reason to think I might want it too?"

"Yep–" the Master was taken aback when he felt the Doctor's lips on his, but he sighed into bliss nonetheless. For all the time they hadn't had sex, he hadn't even felt their babies move – he supposed he'd feel them allot more now that they were all the more obstructive. "My darling Theta – why didn't you say?" he gasped as they both pulled back for breath.

"You never asked."

The Master had to admire him for his persistence, and he was certainly acting sexy now; flustered, lusting and undeniably aroused. But there was still a hint of doubt in his eyes, "Koschei, prove to me that you still find me attractive."

"How?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Make love to me, you idiot!"

"Your wish is my command." the Master grinned, bringing the Doctor back down for a kiss.

* * *

He adjusted the blue bowtie, checked that his braces weren't out of place, and fiddled with the lapels on his suit jacket. It was a tweed number – Koschei had said it all suited him, and so he wore it for his broadcast to millions. The only problem was that the entire thing clashed terribly with his red hair, as Jack and Martha had pointed out to him, so he'd foregone his red bowtie in favour of a blue one, and complimented it with a light blue flannel shirt. He could say he looked rather dashing – Donna thought he looked like a prat.

"Don't mind me, I'm only your _secretary_."

"Yes, and you're also a wonderful friend." He said, pulling her in for a restricted hug.

He heard it – Jack cooling down the world before the alien was sent on. "_Today is a new age – the twenty-first century is where it starts, but it started quietly a while back and we have never been alone in this universe. Aliens are real – in fact I work with aliens every day. There is an organisation (not like UNIT) called Torchwood, created by Queen Victoria in the 1800s to fend off hostile alien activity – one of the only differences between us and UNIT is that we don't use brute force, and we try to listen to aliens and get them home if they're just lost and we can help them. I am a liaison between Torchwood bases around the world, and I am human, and also control the Torchwood base in Cardiff, Wales. The base in London is controlled by an old friend of mine – an alien man who is 7 weeks pregnant. We both want to get this out in the open, so this is why we're broadcasting this to the world. Today is a new age – hopefully one of acceptance. Now my friend in London I was telling you about, he's here to tell you a bit more._"

"That's my cue – wish me luck. Or is it unlucky to wish someone luck?"

He walked out and took Jack's place at the podium. He took a deep breath,

"My earth name is John Smith, but the few of you who know me as the alien I am, you know me as the Doctor, a man who travels in time and changes his face when he's about to die. I am a sort of universal protector – but if I'm honest I don't know how I got that title, as I've also been called a destroyer of worlds and prefer to be called just _the Doctor_. I have been living on Earth for the past months due to personal circumstances – a marriage and an adoption. I and my mate – a male – are the last of our kind, and due to some miracle I was able to become pregnant. Now, I'm not here to listen to outdated prejudices or to warn you of some alien invasion that you should be preparing for; I am here to spread the truth."

* * *

"I think the truth's allot more challenging than carrying triplets." the Doctor said, and one of the triplets in question kick out indignantly, a little half-formed foot shape moulding to his belly.

"Oh, you say that _now_ – the truth'll seem like a walk in the park when you're in labour." Donna reminded him, handing him a cup of tea and pouring her own.

His teacup shook for a moment, as did his whole body. "What was that?"

"Nothing." he said, "Just false contractions, nothing to worry about. It's my body preparing for the birth."

"Hold up; you're only 7 weeks along, you can't be having contractions yet, false or otherwise."

"I'm actually 7 months along – 7 weeks worth of growth to us is 7 months worth of growth in my womb." he patted his pregnant belly forlornly, "They'll be here in no time at all."

"Where are you taking Amelia for her birthday?" Donna said, keen to change the subject

"I'm thinking about it; I don't know any child-friendly planets where there's a 0% chance of trouble brewing. I keep getting a feeling the TARDIS will take us somewhere else though – but I doubt she'd do that, considering we're bringing Amelia's best friend with us."

"Oh yeah, that boy who was sticking to Martha on the bring your child to work day?"

"Yes, Rory Williams. You know what she does with him?"

Donna hesitated, "I'm afraid to ask."

"She plays dress-up with him. Last time she was Queen Elizabeth I and he was Henry VIII – I was afraid heads would roll," he paused, "But really, it's nice that she has a friend who accepts us and how we are."

"What, the whole gay thing?"

"No, the 'outer-space' thing." he paused, "Humans have seen aliens Donna, and not just the ones who've reported them. There are those who see aliens and are called mad, but a high percentage of them are completely sane."

"Am I part of that percentage?"

"I wouldn't have said so when I met you." they both laughed at this.

Donna looked down and fiddled with a shirt button, "Y'know, come Christmas it'll be the fifth anniversary of mine and Lance's… non-wedding, of his deceit. But with all I've done since I met you, a big red spider and her greedy babies seem like a walk in the park to me now."

"I wouldn't be fooled; most things seem bigger than they really are. But in the grand scheme of things, I do suppose it takes its toll." he graced her with a worn smile, "What's harder than the abnormal is taking a break from it."

"When it all got too much, I could explore the deeper parts of the TARDIS, or go to Gallifrey and do a bit of relaxing in the red grass. Now I'm too old to explore the TARDIS; I keep forgetting my way and then I'm lost until teatime. And Gallifrey is a given, considering it no longer exists."

"…Is 'relaxing in the red grass' a euphemism for Time Lord masturbation?"

"Where did you get that idea?"

"I've been hanging around with you and Jack; the two tend to coincide."

**A/N:** I didn't realise this had already gotten to 5 pages in OpenOffice! My god… So, the Doctor spreads truthiness and there is some light-hearted banter between him and Donna. I'm constantly wondering when I'll get to the good bits… besides referencing to masturbation. There'll hopefully be something that'll blow all your minds up the road… just remember to turn left and you'll find it. And very sorry for the lateness of this? I've been so busy and now I'm considering rewatching S5… gotta bone up where you can in any fandom.


	32. My universe and tea

**A/N: **…A new chapter! Every one is a miracle because I've only succumbed to writers block a few times with this fic, and even so they were very brief instances. I can't believe I've got to 32 chapters already! Doesn't time fly? I know, I keep saying these things every few chapters, but I really am surprised that I've got this far with it. My imagination and inspiration usually kaputs on me within 5 chapters of any fic I write!

**Chapter 32 – My universe and tea**

"Amelia!" the Master said, shaking her awake.

"What time is it…?" Amelia said, burying her head back into the pillow.

"6:30, we have to help Donna organize mummy's baby shower."

Amelia shot up like a rake, "6:30! I can't be doing anythin' at 6:30, s'too early!"

"Yes, I know, but mum likes to wake up at 7 doesn't he? So it's best to go to Donna's while we can't arouse suspicion."

"_Nobody_ should be awake at this hour…"

"Yes, but if we do mum's baby shower we can have your birthday trip afterwards."

"I won't be awake for my trip… bloody early mornings."

"Get dressed and meet me in the TARDIS."

"You can drive it?"

"I'd say I can drive it a damn sight better than him; I passed my test, didn't I?"

"I question the legitimacy of that claim."

"Ooh, look at my girl using big words! You'll be helping Donna with her filing next." the Master chided, encompassing the TARDIS console.

* * *

"Do I have to wear it now? It's so itchy…"

"We want to see if it fits you, don't we?"

"…Yes." Amelia said, stepping into the dress. It was a pinky-purple lavender colour, and swished around her legs when she walked – but, "It isn't half tight around the bust."

"You'll get used to it; just try not to breathe out." the Master rebuked, tying the pink sash around the middle.

"It's tougher than it sounds."

"It's best to get all the basics sorted out first – that means our clothes, amongst other things." she asked to go to the loo and he waved her off.

Jack came up behind them, "I'm still surprised to see you as a parent."

"Yeah, me too." the Master said, "You know when we had to give Matthew back? That was probably the worst moment of my life; besides all the times I hurt Theta."

"What's the deal with you two? You keep calling each other 'Theta' and 'Koschei', are they your names?"

"Our nicknames from when we were in the academy back on Gallifrey – It seems a shame not to use them when we're so used to them, and it's kinda our special thing now; something that a couple has which is only between those two people."

"Hey, I hear ya. Ianto used to call me Jackie…" for a brief moment, a shadow passed under Jack's eyes.

"Synonymous with Rose Tyler's infamous mother – don't worry, I won't tell anyone. You still miss him, don't you?"

"How can I not? Best coffee boy in the universe I had, and then he died."

"Yes, but you still feel emotionally attached to him. It's not something to be ashamed of; if my Theta had stopped feeling that way about me, I wouldn't be here right now and he'd be moping around in the TARDIS and never sharing his feelings with anyone ever again. I wouldn't be happy when I knew I'd ruined his life and he's saved mine so many times."

"Y'know, when Ianto and I met he saved my life – or I saved his, I can never quite remember. He used to work at Torchwood One, where the Doctor's now working, and his girlfriend got… half-converted. She had to be killed and in the aftermath we got together. Every time I think of that, I think I was just his rebound guy – someone he could cling onto while he was in mourning."

"You know, I told the Doctor that when I die [whenever that may be], I want you and him to have a relationship. You love him and it wouldn't be much of a change; he wouldn't have to find himself a man or a woman when there was a willing participant allot closer to home."

"But he doesn't love me."

"He learnt to love me, didn't he?"

"That was different, you guys had centuries to figure it out!"

"Yes, centuries wasted squabbling over nothing. With you and him it should happen quicker; you wont be arguing 24/7."

"What did the Doctor have to say about this?"

"He said he hopes I'm right. Now will you help me with the balloons?"

* * *

When the Doctor awoke, he'd expected to be cuddled up with his husband and was disappointed and then suspicious when he wasn't in the bed, "Koschei?"

He saw a note on his bedside table. "_Gone to set up baby shower with Donna. Secret location! Do Amelia's trip afterwards._" he smiled at the note, and felt the babies giving a similarly happy response – '_Mummy?_'

He froze – surely he couldn't be hearing their voices in his head yet? '_I'm here_.'

'_It's cold mummy, and yucky._'

'_I know, sweethearts, you wont have to stay in there for much longer._'

_'Where's daddy?_'

He paused, '_Out planning a party to celebrate you three. You know, you have a big sister – two of them. And a god-brother._' He felt his stomach rumble, and went downstairs for breakfast. He looked in on Amelia and the TARDIS beforehand and realized they were both gone; the Master must have taken Amelia with him using the TARDIS.

He'd been having odd cravings of late – he was eating fish custard for breakfast again, and washing it down with strawberry syrup and whipped cream in a glass. '_Well, it's the tennis season,_' he thought to himself.

He heard a familiar buzzing noise and found his phone, which displayed a text from the Master,

_See you at 4:30, Amelia's trip at 6:00. Love you._

_Koschei x x x_

He grinned and remembered their first date on Diligo-Ortus, and texted back,

_Can we visit the King and Queen before we have our trip? They still don't know about the babies and I'd love to see their gardens again. Love you too._

_Theta x x x x x_

He waited a minute for a reply,

_Sure, we'll have time – time machine, remember? Love you more._

_Koschei XXXXXXXXX_

He stuck the phone back in his pocket, grabbing the remnants of his breakfast and scraping them into the bin. He had a sudden craving for jelly babies, and remembered the packet Sarah-Jane had left him as a parting gift. He then felt sad and decided he should check up on Luke.

* * *

"The alien artefacts that aren't staying in the attic are most likely going over to your workplace, Doctor. You and your lot can decide what to with them from there."

"You look a bit peaky, are you sure you wouldn't like some tea?"

"No, no, I'm fine; you really shouldn't be doing that in your condition."

"Turning on a kettle isn't as strenuous as it seems." the Doctor said, giving him a motherly smile, "As your mum is dead and you have no father, I'm your legal guardian – and you have to let me help you, whether you like it or not."

"Doctor… how do you handle death?"

"I don't; I let the thought of it fester inside me until I can unleash it at someone I don't like, or preferably in the comfort of my room on the TARDIS. Over the years it comes out as mostly anger at the universe for taking away a friend or a loved one, but I've seen so many deaths in my life that they become second nature. I've simply gotten so good at ignoring them that… I don't even recognize when they happen, and I hate myself for it."

"I felt the same way about alien invasions, but I always had mum to help me see the bigger picture. Now I'm not so sure… I've been told all humans feel this confusion, and I guess it makes me feel less like an oddity. But I still didn't have a childhood to remember, I wasn't even a normal baby. How can I feel much more alone in this world?"

The Doctor clapped a hand on his shoulder, "You're never alone. You have a mum who loves you – even beyond death, I believe – and godparents who'll listen to you and help you get through this. You don't ever have to be alone – Koschei taught me that a long time ago."

"Hey, isn't he organizing your baby shower?"

"I felt it was better not to ask about it until I see it, but yes. He's been so wonderful about everything, I sometimes feel like I'm dreaming. It's a fantastic dream, though, the best dream there can be. I'm married to the man I love, with two amazing daughters and three beautiful miracles on the way. I have a feeling the universe is finally cutting me some slack."

"So it should – will the Master have finished setting up the baby shower by now?"

"Luke, you're our responsibility, so I don't want you to call us the Master and the Doctor; the Master is Koschei and I am Theta."

Luke looked shocked, "Are you sure you can trust me with that information?"

"They're nicknames, they won't cause any trouble – just don't say them over the internet, goodness knows what aliens monitor your primitive broadband."

"You call them 'aliens' like you aren't one of them… almost like a human."

The Doctor removed his hand from the boy's shoulder, "Wouldn't want to fall for that old cover. Are you sure you won't accept tea? I'd quite like to have some before we go to the party."

* * *

He felt the babies move as they heard the roar of engines through his uterine walls, and he grinned, '_Not long now, my babies, and you'll be able to talk to your daddy. I'm sorry you've only had me to put up with these past few weeks_'

he felt them respond in kind and heard them say '_We love you, mummy._'

He felt tears spring forth, and Luke whispered, "Why are you crying?"

"I can't help it, I'm _emotional_." he laid a hand to his pregnant belly, "I'll admit, it was a shock when I could finally talk to them, but they're already turning out to be a wonderful addition to the family. How long is it until we get to the party?"

"Not far now, but we'd have made up more time if we didn't have to make so many stops."

"Call it a side-affect of my condition; with all my organs being squashed up together to make way for an growing embryo, there's going to be a increase in urine flow."

"Yeah, something I didn't need to know… how long until the babies arrive?"

"Can't be sure, as we don't have the same maternity equipment that Gallifreyan hospitals had and it's therefore harder to gauge the gestation time – but I'd say about two weeks."

"What are you hoping for?"

"Allot of people have asked me that; I honestly couldn't care as long as they're happy and healthy. Apparently there's some kind of women's intuition about the position of the bump corresponding with the baby's gender or some such nonsense, but seeing as I'm a man I haven't got the foggiest idea what any of it means."

"Mum would have loved to know you're having triplets – she loved babies, despite her saying many times that she didn't. She always thought I was upset that I had no past childhood – or babyhood, as it were – to remember, but I was more upset for her because she never got the chance to raise me from birth like every mother does."

"I may say this about every woman I've befriended, but your mother was a wonderful woman, certainly up there with the best. I suppose she is too now, all the best are long dead."

"We're here." Luke was sitting upright with tense shoulders, and the Doctor could see that the subject of death still troubled him.

The Doctor clasped the boy's hand in his, "Don't let me get you down, I'm just a silly old man with silly old memories and war tends to harden you. Shall we go in?"

"Would you like me to walk round and open your door for you?" Luke joked.

"Ooh, you're getting cheeky; your mum taught you well. Go on then, I can't do everything myself."

* * *

"Nice to see you got here in one piece. Did Luke drive?" Donna chastised, hanging up the Doctor's coat.

"Yes, but I can hardly do it myself."

"Glad to see you're finally accepting that you have to be looked after. We're all mortals here – except Jack, of course, but that goes without saying. How're you feeling?"

"A little queasy after that car trip, but I'm okay. You?"

"Run off my feet with people asking me when you're getting here or where the toilets are. A best friend's work is never done, I suppose."

The Doctor smiled, "Thanks again for all this Donna, you didn't have to…"

"Hey spaceman, I love you, did you really think I would miss the chance to celebrate something this massive? And I'll want full godmother rights on those kids when they're born, don't you stop me."

"I don't think I could if I tried." he said, chuckling drily, "Do you think I could get a drink? Preferably tea."

"I suppose there's something about the enzymes in the tea helping the babies' growth patterns, right?" Donna muttered.

"Actually, yes. Could you?" the Doctor asked, beaming, "I haven't had a drink since we left Ealing."

"Yeah, they're at the table."

"So where is my infamous husband now? I didn't think he was the type to mingle."

"I'm not." the Doctor turn and saw the Master looking at him sheepishly with his arms behind his back.

"What are you hiding behind there? It better be cup of tea." the Doctor jested, leaning to get a better look.

The Master brought his hands out for the Doctor to see, a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolate in his grasp, "Surprise? I know they're a bit conventional but–"

The Doctor put his hands to the Master's face, "Just… shut up. I like conventional, and the flowers are lovely. Did you choose these yourself?"

"I had some help from Gita; she said you liked these when you went to pick the flowers for our wedding. And I've checked, they're not alien – artificial flowers made on Earth." he held up the flowers to their noses, "They're perfumed, though. Bananas, your favourite."

"I didn't realize that was an option. Shall we?" the Doctor said, linking arms with the Master.

"Time to greet our adoring public, I suppose…" the Master lamented, thinking he'd much rather have a small party with family and friends.

"Hey, everyone we know will be here." the Doctor spoke reassuringly, burying his body into the Master's side

"Yes, and everyone _you_ know. I swear I don't even know half the people here…"

"There are some familiar faces. Weren't making any other trips in the TARDIS, were you?" the Doctor grinned as he looked around, only to see the King and Queen approaching.

"Guilty as charged; we decided we'd all meet up here first and visit Diligo-Ortus after the party."

"And… Sir Alistair, my old friend!" the Doctor ran (speed-waddled) up to the haggard old man.

"Terribly sorry I could make it for the wedding or Sarah-Jane's funeral old chap. Got called out to bloody Peru again, these new UNIT lackeys don't know their firearm from their forearm… You get younger as I get older, it seems."

"Not by choice, trust me. Introductions! Sir Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart, meet RayRay and Sraexoa, the monarchy of the planet Diligo-Ortus – and vice-verse the introductions and you're done. I'm going to scour the tables for what little Tetley I can find."

"Doctor, can we talk?" the Master said in a hushed voice, bringing them over to a secluded area of the room.

The Doctor felt panic setting in, clutching his chest as his hearts beat spasmodically.

"No, it's nothing bad!" the Master said hurriedly, pulling the Doctor's hands away from his front and noting the white knuckles, "The king and queen suggested we should stay the night on Diligo-Ortus. More _insisted_, really, but I can see why. Wouldn't it be nice to stay there again? And it would help Amelia acclimatize to different planets."

The Doctor smirked at his excited husband, "I can see someone's already made up their mind. Okay, but we're going for Amelia's trip straight away tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh, you gorgeous man!" and with that, the Master planted a kiss firmly on his lips, "I'll go tell Amelia, she'll be so excited!" he zoomed off into the crowd without another word, off to find his young charge to regale her about tales of the universe.

**A/N:** Wow, 5 pages in OpenOffice. Better end it here, huh? I was gonna introduce a few more characters, but 4 pages is usually my limit and I thought it was nice to end it how it is. I've been in a bit of a rut with this fic lately but I suddenly had a spurt of writing juice yesterday and I continued working on this even after my netbook glitched on me and did its own restart (Thank goodness for autosaving!) So yeah… hopefully this spate of writers fatigue has finally passed and I can finally get on with the good stuff – including the actual plot, but not before a little bit of sexiness… yes, this fic will finally be going M-rated with the Doctor and the Master! Perhaps in the next chapter or the one after that, I can't be sure. The only thing I'm sure about is that I love writing interactions between a supporting character and a main character. First Gita and the Master, now Luke and the Doctor, I guess I just love all my characters equally (even if they're not really mine and I'm just borrowing).


	33. Love

**A/N:** Okay, to start off: very soon this fic will soon be of the M-rated variety, as I want to make it that way to give people a bit of a breather before I write the plot, and I want to give this thing a whole other audience – do you know that the only person who reviews now is the person who wrote the fic that this fic is sequelling? Not that I'm complaining (I probably am), but a little review here and there wouldn't kill you people and seeing if people read my stuff really boosts my writing spirits. But don't mind me and my ramblings, read on!

**Chapter 33 – Love**

"Do you know how much I love you and the girls? I just feel like I don't tell you enough." the Doctor asked, walking up behind the Master and wrapping his arms around his neck.

"I don't think I could stop believing you if I tried."

"No, but really. I thought I might not enjoy going to visit Diligo-Ortus again because of my expanding girth, but you've really mind. I think I can handle it if my family is there." they saw Jenny coming over to them with several drinks; three glasses of lager and a cup of tea, "Thanks, love." the Doctor said, taking his cup of tea and drinking it in one unlikely gulp.

"Dad, aren't you drinking those a bit fast? And it is your sixth cup."

The Doctor looked down at his baby bump, "They just seem to crave it. Be glad, that's the most normal thing they've craved in weeks." he looked towards the custard creams, which Amelia and her friend Rory were happily digging into, "We'll have no sweet treats left at this rate. Can someone grab me one before they've given themselves upset stomachs?"

"Shouldn't we be heading home? We have to pack for our trips and you need your rest." the Master said, wringing his hands worriedly.

Donna scoffed, "Oh, _now_ he's paranoid. You'll have to watch out for this one, Doctor, or he'll cover you and those kids in bubble wrap."

"I can have one little party with my friends, I'm not about to give birth within the next five minutes."

Martha walked up to them, "I know from my brother that all men are the same about pregnancy; most of them are cool with it until a few weeks before the labour. The real test is the labour itself – I see loads of guys going insane with so many emotions when I pass by the birthing units in a hospital, but you'll probably get that experience yourselves."

"Aren't you two worried about the birth?" Donna asked, "Y'know, will they come out the way they went in or will someone have to do a c-section?"

"They'll most likely be coming out through my vagina [as would a baby in a woman's pregnancy] which is, admittedly, grouped with my anus. However, if we can't follow through with this method of labour then a caesarian is the only option. Of course, nothing is risk-free and there could always be complications…"

"Look now, you're all getting him worried." the Master laughed, and stood up to leave "We'd better be off anyway, we still have to go home and pack for Diligo-Ortus." he held out his hand to the Doctor, waggling his fingers invitingly, "Your carriage awaits, m'lord."

The Doctor took his hand and got up out of the chair, "Yes, somebody's getting antsy. Night, all! Be sure to save me the last slice of cake."

The Doctor felt awestruck as he plucked Amelia from the buffet table, "Bath for you tonight. You feel like you've been marinated in sugar overnight, you sticky miss."

"It just makes me all the sweeter!" they saw Rory sticking his tongue out behind her.

The Doctor chuckled, "Yeah, that's debatable."

* * *

"Yes, ma'am, we'll drop you back on your planet and be with you as soon as we've got everything ready. Will you be able to accommodate me and the babies?"

"Yes, dear Doctor, it's often been a wish of the king and I that we could have children of our own – your young are more than welcome and catered for. We've updated your room to meet your more recent needs, and your daughter has also been given a room."

"I can't thank you enough."

"The pleasure is ours, Doctor, we assure you! It will be nice to have a child roaming the grounds, and I'm sure your new little ones will too when they're older."

The Doctor put a hand his stomach – _bulbous_ was a word he could use for it, "I guess I won't be able to pride myself on my trim figure anymore. Donna always thought I was too skinny, and now she thinks I'm gorging myself to keep her happy." he felt one of the babies shift, and gasped as his breathing constricted, "They're growing faster than they should be; I keep getting the feeling that they know something I don't and they'll arrive ahead of schedule. Right now I just want to lie down in a dark room until all the stars die out. Did I mention I can't see my own feet anymore?"

Sraexoa nodded, "You're scared."

The Doctor shook his head, fighting back tears, "No I'm not."

"Doctor, I hope you don't mind me asking but… is this your first birth?"

He nodded, gone quiet but for the small sobs that broke free on occasion.

"Oh, my dear…" it was an odd sight, a pregnant alien man being hugged by an alien midget queen. There could be something about it in the Sunday paper… probably with the comics.

"I'm fine, just got something in my eye…"

Sraexoa chuckled, "We have that lie on my planet too. Have you told the Master how you feel?"

He shook his head, "I've gotten so used to the idea that people think of me as some invincible demi-god, I kind of like it. I hate being vulnerable, it makes me seem so… _normal_. Like I finally have something in common with every other being in the universe."

"It isn't a vulnerability, feelings. You must understand this… it's okay to be loved."

The Doctor smiled as a thought popped into his head, "I hope to have family and friends surrounding me when I give birth, in a _hospital_. If they come while I'm on holiday, I'm going to kill them." he laughed drily, "But yes, Sraexoa, I am scared. Shall we go? I think my husband will have packed for me."

* * *

"I missed this – a different planet, a whole new environment to explore and re-explore." the Doctor exclaimed, flopping down onto the comfy double bed

"Aren't you tired?" the Master asked breathlessly, heaving the last of their luggage into the room.

The Doctor smirked, "There's that too. Do you mind if I have a lie down? I'm sure you and their highnesses can show Amelia around the gardens while I have my rest."

"Are you sure you wouldn't like me to stay with you? I'm sure I'd like that very much." the Master whispered into his ear, his arms wrapped around the Doctor's burgeoning midriff.

The Doctor shrugged away from him, "Be off with you and your guttered mind! You have a botanical visit to organize, and what would they all think if we never came out of this room?"

"I'm sure they'd think I was attending to the needs of my beautiful husband."

"_Your_ needs, more like. We can have sex later, but I'm tired and our little girl is waiting for you in the courtyards. So, y'know, just keep it in your trousers for now."

"I'll hold you to that 'later'." the Master said, getting up from the bed and leaving.

The Doctor really had wanted him to stay; just to be held and told everything was going to be alright. He felt a tight fluttering in his stomach as the babies moved and one of them rested mercilessly against his bladder. "Piss or sleep, hmm… piss, definitely." he said, walking over to the roomy en suite.

He found sleep overtaking him as he sat down on the porcelain-like surface, and fought weakly to stay awake until his body hit the bed covers. He slipped away from the toilet's summit, suddenly finding the tiled floor very comfortable. He slept, remembering all the smiling faces of his family and friends at his baby shower. '_I have a family_', he thought, unconsciously resting a hand on his protrusive belly.

* * *

Cold. Whatever he was lying on, it was cold. Had he passed out on the toilet and fallen to the ground? It was the most likely situation.

No. Wait. The floor in the en suite was tiled. This floor was… it wasn't a floor.

He dared to open his eyes, and a blinding infirmary light hit his eyes. Once his vision cleared, he saw everyone crowded around him. "What?"

"Oh, thank goodness!" the Master exclaimed, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Did you think I might have died in the safety of our room? I was lying in a puddle of my own piss, yes, I can still smell it, but I simply went to use the toilet and… fell asleep on it." he sighed, "Yes, it was stupid, but not uncommon; Elvis fell asleep on his toilet, or so the legend goes."

"Elvis also died on the toilet." the Master said, not at all happy.

"It was a toss up between urinating and sleeping, and both of them won, okay? If it's any consolation, I've slept enough so we can all go to the gardens." he felt a hand push him back as he tried to get up, and dizziness met him full in the face.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but you can't move just yet." he saw an unfamiliar face as he felt like he was going to be sick.

"He's a Diligo-Ortean maternity medic, darling, just let the man do his work."

"Why… why do I need a midwife?"

"You were having a number of contractions when you were found, luckily it was a false alarm."

The Doctor cried out as his entire body went into spasms, "The contractions, they're still happening–AGHHHH!"

"Just lie down dearie, they'll pass." it was the Queen herself with kind advice – in the heat of the moment he couldn't be bothered if it was patronizing or not.

"Oh dear Rassilon, it feels like I'm pushing out a ten ton truck…" with those words, he sank back into the examination table, "Am I going to have to have to stay inside all day?"

"Not necessarily." it was the strangely tall Diligo-Ortean midwife again, "The painkillers shouldn't make you drowsy, so you should be able to stay outside with relative ease."

The Doctor sighed, not moving an inch, "…I'd rather I just went into labour and had done with it."

"Doctor, at this stage in the pregnancy, the babies are still underdeveloped. You shouldn't just wish for them to 'plop' out before their time." the midwife was fastly becoming a nuisance in the Doctor's eyes.

"Can someone get him out of here and pump me full of drugs already? I think I'm about to get up and give him a slap."

The midwife could see that he was not needed, and sent in the nurses to do their work.

* * *

"The gardens have a certain calming effect – possibly a side-affect of the spores these plants and flowers release into the air. Completely harmless unless you're allergic."

"Theta, I love you but can you stop _thinking_ for once? You're giving us all a headache." the Master muttered, rubbing his face.

"Well, _I'm sorry_ but it's the only way I can stay awake." the Doctor retorted, curling into the Master's side.

"When will you two stop fighting?" it was Amelia, holding out a bunch of flowers for the Doctor, "You know you're doing it over nothing."

"Mummy's mad because the babies are making me this way and daddy's mad because I haven't given him a grown-up cuddle in a long time." the Doctor took the flowers gratefully, "Are you okay?"

Amelia wiped her nose on her sleeve, "this park makes me sneezy."

"We'll pick up some anti-histamines from the TARDIS." the Master said, pulling her into his arms, "You just try not to breathe too much."

"Dad, what's a grown-up cuddle?"

The Master worried, "Why d'you ask?"

"I know it's something I'm not supposed to know about, but it must be something really fun because you're both _really_ happy the next day."

"Do you have theories?" the Doctor asked.

"No…" Amelia said, the picture of innocence.

"You little liar." the Master said, cocooning her further in his arms, "Bit cold for this time of year; we should probably go inside." he felt Amelia vibrate in his arms from a stifled yawn, "And I think it's time for somebody to take a nap."

There was little protest from the sleepy [and usually very uncooperative] girl, which should have deeply worried the Doctor, had it not been for the fact that the pain meds were still taking effect.

* * *

He soon realized that another side-affect of the drugs [besides drowsiness] was a heightened sexual state more specifically pertaining to Time Lords. He was beginning to wish he'd taken the Master up on his offer when he'd had the chance; rubbing his swollen thighs together as his boxers became soaked with precum was becoming tiresome. He pulled his jumper up over his belly, but to no avail as the worn fabric kept springing back to the top of the bump.

"You look beautiful." it was the Master, sitting on the bed next to him and handing him a cup of tea.

The Doctor hardly noticed as his tears impacted on the liquid's surface, "I'm a planet."

The Master shook his head, "You're not. My whole universe, maybe… but you're not a planet. You're my beautiful husband who just happens to be pregnant with the three most revolutionary beings in the universe." he placed a hand on the Doctor's bloated pregnancy bump, "They'll do amazing things, our little ones, if we raise them properly."

"You'll still never want to touch me again, I'll be fat and frumpy and my sexual appeal will go out the window." he noticed a box of tissues on the beside table, making a grab for them as he felt the Master's warm arms enclose around his waist.

"Y'know, we spent one of our first nights as a couple here. Wouldn't it be fun to do what we did on that night? Or certainly the gist of it." the Master said, sandwiching his body against the Doctor's.

The Doctor shook his head, removing from his grip, "I want you to hear something first." he pulled the Master's head to rest on his belly, "Open your mind to them, my love."

Tears sprung to the Master's eyes as he looked up at his husband with an incredulous grin, "They're talking. Our babies are talking."

"They've been doing that since me and Luke started on our way to the party, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner." the Doctor looked guiltily down at the Master, "…I don't deserve you. You're so lovely and all I ever do is fall off the toilet and have moodswings 24/7."

"You've just had a bad day, and _yes_, you deserve me." the Master got up from the carpeted floor, "So y'know what I'm going to do? I'm going to run you a nice hot bath and get you cleaned up, and then we're going to enjoy our time together." the Master winked a promise of much more to him, and took the Doctor's hands in his, leading the weary Time Lord to the oversized en suite and turning on the taps. He found candles which were already lit and relaxing bath oils on the side of the ledge, and silently thanked the Queen for her foresight.

The Doctor sank gratefully into the warm water, an instant calm returning to him. He absent-mindedly felt the Master's hands massaging his neck on their journey south, and allowed blissful feelings to overtake him.

"What's got you feeling so down, love?" the Master whispered into his ear, "You should be in your prime – 900 and pregnant, n'all. At your happiest. I can't stand to see you upset."

The Doctor turned and looked him in the eye then, murmuring something.

The Master continued rubbing and said, "Sorry, didn't hear that."

The Doctor shook his head and felt bubbles waft about and pop in the tub, finally relenting, "…I said I'm _scared_. Scared about everything, the birth, whether the babies will survive…"

The Master shushed him, saying, "You don't have to worry." the scenes were playing out in his head, "You'll go into labour, we'll get you into hospital before your waters break, and half a day later our babies will finally be brought into the world surrounded by everyone who loves them." He rubbed the Doctor's belly, feeling an imprint on the surface – a little hand, maybe, "and they'll be healthy and happy and _ours_. Nothing can ever take them from us."

What he was saying; so beautiful, yet so impossible as the Doctor removed the Master's hand, "It won't be like you say it will, they keep giving me a feeling that everything will go wrong."

A flicker of deep thought crossed the Master's face, "Maybe we should postpone Amelia's trip."

The Doctor shook his head quickly, "No, she's been waiting for it for months, don't ruin her happiness."

"What about your happiness? She'll understand if it feels like the babies are coming sooner than we expected."

"No. Our little girl's getting a birthday trip, and that's final." the Doctor said, resolutely receding into the froth once more.

'_God help our kids if they're as stubborn as their mum_', the Master thought, continuing with his massage, pleased when he heard the Doctor sigh in pleasure, '_But that's what I love about him_'.

**A/N: **I know I promised M-ratedness but… it may happen next chapter, I'm not too sure. I just don't want to _say_ it will because then I'll jinx myself into not writing it. Does this happen to anyone else? Because I can't be the only one… I'm currently watching Futurama and eating my third prize chocolate (I'll explain that later), and I actually finished this last night and was going to submit it in school time, but I forgot my charger today so I couldn't restart my netbook to use my USB stick to copy this chapter to the school computer and upload it here. Ow, too many words in one sentence... Anyway, I've started on chapter 34. It'll hopefully be coming shortly!


	34. Bright as day

**A/N:** Hello! Not much to say about this one, other than I started writing it in the girls toilets while flunking a lesson. But I have a joke! If a navy man is beaten in a naval war, does that make him admiral in defeat?

**Chapter 34 – Bright as day**

The Master pulled out the bath-plug, gathering a slippery Doctor in his arms as best he could and drying him off. He manoeuvred them out of the bathroom, making his way to the bed and laying the Doctor upon it. He looked down at his mate in reverence and began shedding his own clothes, watching and grinning as the Doctor's mouth ran dry. As he finished, he flopped down beside the Doctor, running eager hands over the body next to him and feeling it arch off the bed. His eyes sought out the Doctor's swollen organ, and hungry lips devoured it as the Doctor yelled his contentment, raking his hands through coarse blond hair.

The Doctor felt the safest he had in a long time; He was safe on a known planet, his daughter was a few doors down and he was being loved by the Master. He pouted when the Master pulled away, seeing him reach instead into one of the beside tables, and he returned with a bottle of clear liquid. "Tonight, my dear Theta, you are going to have the time of your life – and you and I both know that's saying something."

The Doctor knew better than to challenge the Master while he was in a position of dominance, and sat back while the man opposite him ran a slick hand over his length. "A few years ago I never would have imagined we'd be about to make love. I'd probably laugh at you if you'd suggested it then, but I have to admit I've wanted to pinch your arse since we were kids. Remember? And I said my hand 'slipped'."

"I knew you were lying, but I liked it anyway; You just took me off guard, s'all. Did you mum ever find out why you had a black eye after you'd been talking to me?"

The Doctor smirked, "She assumed we'd had a lovers tiff. Not far off the truth now, I suppose. But your arse is still deliciously yielding to my touch, as I've found out."

"It's good to know why your hands always cling there during sex." the Master said, finishing up, "although I could do without the nail marks."

The Doctor sat up as best he could and pulled the Master forward by his hips, "Really? Would've thought they were the best part." he felt a sure sign of the Master's arousal against his lower belly, and needed no further invitation.

"Turn over." the Master demanded, and he retrieved the bottle of lube when the Doctor did as he was told.

The Doctor yelped as a cold, wet digit entered him, rising off the bed in abandon. The feel of the Master's fingers preparing him was delicious, his brain acting like a sieve as he felt the Master _finally_ enter him. A gentle rocking motion began, and he knew the Master was being considerate. He pushed back against him, mewling in pleasure when the Master took the hint.

Huddled against the bedpost, nearly the equivalent of 7 months pregnant, and being rammed sweetly by his husband and mate – it wasn't a bad position to be in. Several complex emotions were running through him at the moment; love, lust, pain… he didn't mind being bottom, what with his current physiology. He was also wondering if fishsticks and custard really were a good combination… it was about to come back up to haunt him, by no fault but his own. Sex extremely near the due date wasn't a good idea… but it _felt so good_. The plunge in and out sent a delightful shiver down his spine, bringing him ever-closer to the release he'd been waiting for all night. He could only attempt to rescue what little dignity he had before the babies arrived and get the Master to orgasm first.

He knew it wasn't going to last as he felt copious amounts of his seed leak onto the bed, and barely registered the Master's remark of "I'm not changing the sheets." as he finally exploded, weeks of tension leaving him in a few wet spurts.

He felt the Master empty himself inside him, and sighed as he pulled out and their bodies became entangled, his head laid against the Master's chest with one arm spread over their bodies.

"I'm never going to win, am I?"

the Master shook his head, "No. Now go to sleep."

* * *

The sunlight ran through the arched windows, casting a light on the sleeping couple as the Master awoke to find the Doctor staring at him, "What?"

"Good morning, Mr Smith." the Doctor said, his scowl quickly replaced with a grin.

"Mornin', Mr Smith. What's it that's got you so riled up?" the Master said sleepily, sitting up and pulling the Doctor with him.

"Not long now." his eyes flickered to his bump, noticing that the Master's hand had become glued to it overnight.

"They were kicking allot, thought it best that you got some sleep. I've been having a chat with them all night." the Master explained, rubbing his eyes.

"You know sleep deprivation affects your sperm count, right?"

"Yeah, but why would I need my sperm count to raise kids…?"

"Well if we ever want to have more, you're going to need all your sperm."

"You can't be serious!" he became annoyed when the Doctor started laughing at him.

"It's okay! We want to get used to the ones we have before we consider having more." the Doctor laughed, "But if we wanted to, we could…"

The Master gesticulated, "I've read about this; some kind of mothering syndrome. You want as many kids as we can cram into the TARDIS."

"Would it really be so bad?" the Doctor asked.

"Are you sure we'd have enough love for more than six? I know you want have as many children that are _biologically_ ours for as long as you can, but we can't forget the ones you didn't give birth to." he absent-mindedly rubbed around the Doctor's belly button, "We'll love our children all the same, however many we have."

The Doctor nodded, speechless as tears leaked down his face, "Will you still love me when they're born? When I woke up, I was thinking about the time we nearly separated. I know it was months ago, but I can't get the images out of my head."

"I'll love you so much more. How you're coping with all this is amazing, I can't imagine what you'll be like during the labour. Anyone else would be screaming for an epidural and punching the father in the face; you'll be shining bright as day."

"Would that make childbirth my 'finest hour'?" the Doctor said coyly.

"I can think of nothing finer in my eyes."

"Good." the Doctor said, "Because I may consider punching your lights out when the time comes. Shall we see to our child? She'll be feeling neglected, we've been in here for _hours_."

"We can stay in here for a couple more; we haven't got to go until this afternoon."

"I fancy an early morning." the Doctor said, bounding off the bed, "And I think I need a shower. You can join me if you want."

"No, you get clean – I probably didn't a very thorough job last night." the Master said, stretching against the bed and watching the Doctor waddle into the en suite, "I just noticed, you're a sexy bastard when you can't walk properly. And it's all my doing – in more ways than one." the Master waggled his eyebrows as he saw the Doctor looking at him exasperatedly from the mirror.

"It's a wonder we don't spend all our time in the bedroom" the Doctor said, walking back into to the room with a toothbrush in his mouth and a hand splayed against his back.

"Yes, but then how would we have a family? But I could use some relief later, if it's not to much trouble…?"

"All social order within our lives would collapse, and it is." the Doctor mumbled, walking back into the bathroom and spitting into the sink. He felt his back spasm and had the sudden urge to sit down.

The Master heard him plonk down onto the toilet lid and ran into the room, "Theta!"

"It's nothing, really… I've just been moving too much and my spinal cord hates me." the Doctor said, rubbing the aforementioned area.

The Master sighed, "Alright, as soon we get onto the TARDIS you're going to bed – and I'm not treating as if you can't do anything for yourself, it's for the best. You've had too many accidents recently for you to be up and about."

The Doctor reminded himself that the Master just wanted to look after him and he should let him. Another part of him said that he was an independent man who didn't need to be bedridden. He idly thought if it was the same for pregnant women, "Can Amelia stay with me when we're in the TARDIS? My mothering instincts are kicking in and I'd rather we were together; I think she was feeling ill earlier."

"Perhaps we should call Martha."

"No, no, it's probably nothing. I think maybe it's some kind of lag from her first trip to another planet."

"If it's lag, she would have slept it off by now. If she's not better, I'm calling Martha." the Master said, getting them both dressed and pulling the Doctor out of the room, "Resting can wait."

* * *

"Your highness, will your husband not join us?" the Master asked, preoccupied with staring down at the gelatinous thing on his plate and watching the Doctor eat his breakfast happily.

"He has duties to attend to that can't be scuppered. I see your daughter has not joined us either." she said, pointing to the empty chair.

"She's feeling a bit iffy so we left her in bed." the Doctor said, poking at his drink, "She'll be out when she's ready."

"We've called Martha." the Master added, "If Amelia's condition worsens, we'll take her back to Earth to get checked out immediately."

The Master was feeling antsy, Amelia was feeling ill and the Doctor could only focus on food – the queen saw it all, "It's for the best. Did you two have fun last night?"

The drink the Master was holding clinked onto the table. The Doctor burst out laughing.

"Oh, I don't know what's come over me… this is quite embarrassing." the Doctor said, giving a last chuckle.

"Completely normal under the circumstances." the Master said, checking that his glass hadn't cracked, "There should be a rise of endorphins near the end of the pregnancy."

Suddenly he felt a tap of his shoulder, and turned to see one of the staff looking disgruntled, "You asked us to check on Amelia at this time."

"Yes, and?"

"We can't."

The Doctor became alarmed at this point and put on his best 'Oncoming Storm' look when he addressed the bringer of bad news, "Why can't you?"

"She isn't in her room – in fact, she isn't anywhere." the young man's lips quivered as he spoke, fearing for his position, "We've alerted the guards, so we should have your daughter soon enough…"

The Doctor's knuckles turned white as he gripped his cutlery, "This was bound to happen. She isn't connected to us by blood and we're having new babies soon, she thinks we're rejecting her."

"We'd never reject her!" the Master said, disbelieving.

"She's 8 years old, she can't see that we love her yet, you _pillock_!" the Doctor cried, never noticing the tears running down his face, "She knows that one of the only reasons we wanted to adopt was because we couldn't have children of our own. She thinks that now I can get pregnant, she'll be an orphan again. We need to find her…" and with that, the Doctor removed himself from the table.

The Master placed a hand on his arm, "That's not such a good idea – I'll go and call Martha and Jack, then the three of us will find her."

"She's _my daughter_." the Doctor snapped, snatching his arm back and walking away, "If anyone's taken her… I'm her mother, I'll be the one to save her."

"Don't do anything hasty and _sit down_. You need to eat your breakfast, and you need to be safe."

The Doctor did as he was told poutily, "I wont leave my child to her death… as soon as you find out where she is you tell me."

"I'd always tell you." the Master said, running to find a phone.

* * *

"Martha Jones, I need your help."

"_Is Amelia worse?_"

"Worse than worse; she's bloody gone missing! Can you call Jack? I'll need both of you to help me find her."

There was a pause, "_Drive the TARDIS into Torchwood One – preferably with the Doctor. He's our top man, if anyone can find her it's him. Do you know if she's still on the planet?_"

"There's been a planet-wide search and scan, I think we can assume she's offworld. And don't you think bringing the Doctor is a teensy bit unethical? He's her mother, he'll stop at nothing to get her back."

"_That's what we're hoping for._"

"You'd rather the Doctor slaughter a whole species just to get Amelia?" the Master asked incredulously.

"_If they're stolen one human, a child, they're a threat to the entire human race._"

"Or my race – don't you think this is some plot to lure the Doctor and the babies away from safety? We're the last of our kind, there's many who'd love the snatch us up – and allot more who're out to hurt the Doctor."

"_Call the Shadow Proclamation, get some protection – but we don't know what's going on until you and the Doctor come to Earth._"

* * *

"I'm sorry ma'am, but we're leaving. Give our love to the king!"

"With nothing to eat?" the Master hadn't eaten anything and the Doctor had stopped eating as soon as he'd left the room.

"Yes, unfortunately – can our belongings be kept safe until we return? We don't have time to pack."

"So I'm allowed to help now?" the Doctor asked.

"By orders of Martha." the Master said, nodding, "But that doesn't mean you should put yourself or the babies in danger. You'll only be working to find her from Torchwood One."

"Great, I'll get to work with Mr Smith!" the Doctor said, his enthusiam knowing no bounds as he walked out of his chair as best he could.

"You two pop back soon enough! Everything will be as it was." the Queen said, waving them off.

* * *

"How can we ever hope to find her?"

"I thought you were in high hopes." the Master said, hearing his stomach rumble as he started the takeoff procedure.

"That was before the reality of all this hit me. We're going to lose another one, aren't we?" the Doctor said. Despite his reputation as a strong, somewhat emotionless universal protector, he looked so vulnerable.

"You said you'll be working with Mr Smith; you and him will find her soon enough." the Master said, rubbing the Doctor's face with one hand, "Go shave and get some sleep. You'll want to look your best for our arrival."

"No I won't. It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me." the Master said, ushering the Doctor in the direction of their room, "You may be feeling glum now, but think of our babies. They'll sense something's up if you don't cheer up."

"Stop taking the piss and give me a kiss for good luck." the Doctor said, leaning towards him buoyantly.

"Go! You'll get your kiss and more when we're all together."

**A/N:** So I think this is where the real plot starts. Hurrah! I keep losing and refinding bits of it in my head… now I'll finally be able to type it all up. Now I'm making an appeal for names; only boys names though… that will all be revealed later. I just need a minimum of 5 great boy names to get me started – and probably some middle names to go with them too. But they must all be brilliant :D (In all truth, I bet you've already figured out boys names… I already have one of the triplets' names sorted out, and it shall be a time-warped conundrum…

This fanfic might actually get past 40 chapters, what with the current big plot and the subplot… Rassilon help me XD

I think I've made the Doctor a bit too submissive… his full power will be unleashed when the time comes. Right now I'm just happy because the Powerpuff Girls Movie finally came in the post :D


	35. Back to Hell

**A/N:** So I… I already feel like this fic is nearly over. Probably because it _is_ nearly over… but still, I can feel upset about it, right? It's not completely over, I still have a plot, a subplot and an epilogue to write!

**Chapter 35 – Back into Hell**

"There's a rumour going about, foretelling of my death. Would you know anything about that, Mr Smith?"

"**You know as well as I, Doctor. But rumour has it – through the many wayward signals I've intercepted – that you'll be killed by your own flesh and blood.**"

The Doctor became breathless for a moment, "Alright, either Jenny or Amelia. My death, probably a fixed point in time if even I haven't got the full story. Right?"

"**I wouldn't know.**"

The Doctor sighed, "Were you this uncooperative with Sarah? And don't answer that." he twiddled a few levers and something buzzed, "I just want to find my daughter – whichever one will kill me."

"**There's more to the story, and it might not be helpful. It's said that your killer will rise up and strike you dead. And you know that Amelia isn't your flesh and blood.**"

The Doctor gave a pregnant pause as he often did, "Yes, well, your meandering opinions are duly noted." his face lit up as the Master walked into the room, "Oooh, pizza! You made sure it has the toppings I ordered?"

"Yes, pineapple and barbecue sauce – I swear you're getting worse…" the Master planted the boxes of pizza atop the countertop, "Have you got any further?"

"Unfortunately, no. Mr Smith isn't being very helpful." the Doctor brought on his best pout as he glared at the machine.

"**My scanners only reach so far into space. You'll have to be more specific.**" even Mr Smith sounded exasperated at this point.

"Okay then, little girl, ginger, superbly intelligent, reported missing, possibly abducted, her mummy and daddy love her very much, and I will kill whoever has taken her. That specific enough for you?" the Doctor barked at the pulsating crystalline image on the screen.

"Theta, steady yourself… and your mind. You're turning into how I used to be, and I don't think our little girl would want you going insane."

The Doctor's anger seemed to leave him for a moment, only to be replaced by fear, "Jenny is going to kill me."

"Yes probably, if you don't find her little sister. But you're not talking about that, are you?"

He nodded, "Apparently, my own flesh and blood will kill me when the time comes – maybe when we find Amelia. As our babies aren't born yet, Jenny is the only person who could do it. She's my biological daughter and she knows her way around a firearm, who else could it be?" he felt the one of the babies jab him knowingly.

"Should we bring her with us when we find Amelia?" the Masted asked, getting worried.

"Yes, she'll probably get suspicious if we don't – and it might not even be her who's to kill me and this story could be a load of trollop. Whatever happens, I want Amelia safe."

"The babies, they'll–"

"They'll be kept alive by my regenerative energy until you can manage to get my body back to the TARDIS to induce labour. Once the babies are born, the TARDIS will help you keep them on life support until they can survive without it."

Something dinged, and the Doctor returned to his work, "They'll always know that their mum gave her lives to save theirs. Mr Smith? You've made a breakthrough, I presume."

"**Amelia has been located. Coordinates as listed…**"

The Doctor squinted at the screen, "That planet is under the jurisdiction of the Shadow Proclamation. Surely they'd know if a human girl turned up?"

"**I've looked deeper into their records, and there are findings you won't like. A human lifeform was detected on the planet's surface, but they eliminated it while in orbit.**"

"Only one?" the Doctor seemed distant at this point.

"**Yes, but something odd was detected as well. A spike of artron energy around where the lifeform was sighted, but it was shifting erratically… as if it were alive.**"

"I bet the rhino men were baffled." the Master said.

"**Yes, especially because they missed. Whatever has taken Amelia is safe from ships' ****weaponry.**" Mr Smith brought up the Judoon's radar, showing a hazy blip of light amidst a bright glow.

"That's my little girl – call it gut feeling or mothering instinct, I know it's her." the Doctor said, his eyes like steel as he stared at the screen, "We're going to get her."

"Don't you _dare_." the Master said, holding the Doctor to his seat, "I won't have you jeopardizing your own life. I'll go, you'll be safe here on Earth. I'll get the Shadow Proclamation to send some Judoon to protect you, but some are coming with me, Jack and Martha."

"I'll stow away, you can't stop me finding her." the Doctor said, resolute.

"Okay, just stand up for a minute, will you?" as soon as he was in place, the Master yelled, "Mr Smith, containment vortex – _now_!" and a forcefield appeared around the Doctor.

"What's this about?" the Doctor asked, tapping the translucent bonding to check its' integrity.

"What we're talking about is probably a suicide mission, and the only one of us going on it will be _me_. You'll stay here on Earth and keep our babies safe, and if I don't return I want you to give them all the love I could have as well as your own; they'll always know their dad loved them."

The Doctor was suddenly overcome with loss of energy and hastily agreed to the Master's terms, "My only request is that I sleep in the TARDIS; the old girl's always been a bit of a comfort mechanism in times like these."

The Master's eyes narrowed despite the comforting answer, "You won't try to follow us out and find Amelia yourself?"

"I promise on our babies' lives." the Doctor said seriously, ignoring his drowsiness for the time being.

The Master sighed and encompassed the Doctor in a hug, "It will be, love."

* * *

A young girl, only eight years old. Something stirred after rebirth.

"Now there's a compressed field of Artron energy around the subject – we've run diagnostics and it seems that unless you've become accustomed to this energy by being on the TARDIS for long periods of time, you'll be fried instantly – the TARDIS' levels are safe to all beings, but at _this_ point," he points to a blip on the screen showing the planetary surface, "They're through the roof. If they do have Amelia, it's the safest bet that when we find her, I alone should retrieve her. Any questions?"

Mixed voices merging together in an odd cacophony of words,

"Yeah, do we have any idea what this thing is?" it was Jack.

"Something out of our universe and still very powerful. Right, rescue team – Jack, Jenny, Martha?"

"And _me_." Donna stepped forward, "She's my niece; I'll probably end up doing nothing, but I want to help find her in any way I can."

"Great, you're good with numbers, right? Then you can help monitor the energy levels while we're planet-bound."

Donna put a finger to his lips to quieten him, "That's not exactly what I meant; If a _someone_ is behind this, I'd like to be first in line to kick its' arse."

The Master grinned, "Join the party. Ground monitoring, then, Donna. Shall we move out?"

Mr Smith bleeped, "**Incoming transmission from vicinity of Amelia.**"

A fuzzy image appeared on his screen. Round freckled face, startling red hair, "Amelia! Has someone taken you, are you alright!" the Master felt more relieved than he had in months.

"Yeah… they say 'The universe is cracked'."

Everyone's hopes of an easy rescue went down the plughole, "Who do, sweetheart?"

"The Not-people. One of them's really cool! But it stinks a bit in here…"

"That'll be the Artron energy; just stay away from it for now, you're not used to it yet."

"I _can't_. It came with them, they say it's one of the reasons they took me…" it was clear Amelia was becoming upset, "When can I come home?"

"We have to find you first, love." the Master felt for a moment as if his hearts were breaking at his daughter's pleading voice, "Have they told you what they want with you?"

"They said that this must end so they can people, but I don't know what 'this' is. They said… they're giving me a chance to say goodbye." her voice trembled as she hoped the transmission wouldn't cut out, "Where's mum?"

"In the TARDIS, resting."

Amelia shook her head. "I don't think so. Wouldn't he have had time to hack into this message by now?"

The Master turned for the TARDIS and saw an empty space, "Every… Okay, we'll find you without the TARDIS; just try to stay where you are for now and ignore the smell."

Gone was the cynical yet upbeat little girl; here to stay might be a terrified child, "I love you, dad… but I don't think you can save me."

Suddenly the whip-smart Master gained a devilish grin, "A challenge? I assume you can talk to the 'Not-people'; tell them one of us will find you _and_ successfully rescue you, or by hell and high water, there'll be _hell_ to pay"

The transmission cut off there, the face of a weak child disappearing possibly forever, "**It wouldn't hold forever.**"

"Okay," the Master clapped his hands together, "We have allot more information now, don't we?"

**A/N: **Wow, not even 2 and ½ pages in Open Office… I can't help but look forward to the next chapter!


	36. Man's Mission

**A/N:** We're getting so far into the story, and yet I'm already considering ending it before Christmas so there can also be a little bit of a Christmas special at the end. And I'll be sure to add something for new years too, if this is what I follow through with. I myself am currently wondering how the Doctor's going to save the day when he's been forbidden to. But it'll be fun finding out!

**Chapter 36 – Man's Mission**

It was her. The woman who he'd seen sacrifice herself for him. She came to him in his sleep.

"Why are you here?" could her visit in the hospital have been nothing but a dream? He was sure Amelia's disappearance then had been far too long to be real.

"I did warn you; things are escalating beyond your control." her red-blonde curls falling in tresses around her face swayed as she spoke, as if she were very real but out of his reach.

"Answer my question." he wasn't in the mood for her familiarity.

"I'll appear in the flesh when it's time." she smiled, but it appeared so broken, "Just please, promise not to overreact."

"Should I know you?" he shook his head, drifting between sleep and consciousness, "I probably should, and I'm sure I do at some point, but for the time being I just can't stand you."

River Song shook her head in reply as she seemed almost weepy, "I _love_ you. You'll come to understand why, soon enough."

There was one little spark of reciprocation inside him, though he failed to notice, "Don't let the metaphorical door hit you on the way out; I'd like to go back to dreaming of my wonderful husband." she cringed, as he had expected.

He hadn't thought of her as the happy-slap type – those who fell under that category were usually Donna and mums, but it seemed River was determined to prove him wrong as he felt the crackle of skin with a cool hand across his face, "Arrogance will get you nowhere." she hissed.

"Oh, true colours coming out at last I see? Well, I think you'll find this isn't reality so you can't possibly hurt me."

"What happened will hurt for you more than a billion suns being shoved up your backside – and then you'll be asking for my forgiveness."

Everything fell wibbly-wobbly into place, "You're there… aren't you?"

River laughed, "_Going _to be. It's just a matter of time for you to wake up, exit the TARDIS and go looking for me – they're already looking for Amelia, so they won't even notice you've gone. And before you ask, it isn't a trap."

The Doctor, by now, was exhausted by telepathic communication, "You wouldn't tell me if it was. And I can bet you won't tell me if we actually get Amelia back."

"Correctomundo."

"Don't say that. Horrible word…" He finally felt his body lain against his bed on the TARDIS, and could do nothing but lean into it.

"Sleep, there's still time…" River pulled some suddenly-appearing covers over his prone form, "You need rest for what's to come."

"Why…?" all around him now was his room, exactly how he remembered it.

River pulled a lit candle from his cluttered desk while he thought he'd remembered to turn on the light, "The truth will be revealed, and oh, you'll _love_ it."

The last thing he saw as wakefulness evaded him and his eyes were forced abruptly closed was a mass of blonde waves, overshadowing a knowing yet sinister smile.

* * *

"Hey – wait, it feels kinda weird now calling you 'Master' all the time." Jack did indeed look disgruntled, "And I'm sure as hell not calling you Mark."

"Yeah, Jack's right." Martha, while she was initially the person least happy with the Master's return, had become as used to him as anyone.

"The Doctor and him have special names for each other," Jack waggled his eyebrows despite the Master's intense glare, "Isn't that right, _Koschei_?"

"Jack, maybe you should–" Martha was getting increasingly worried about Jack's mental stability while he knew perfectly well the Master may be baying for his blood.

"No, no." he leaned in close to Martha's ears and whispered, "I'm gonna milk this for all it's worth!"

"The Master may be reformed, but he is no pussycat. Don't say I didn't warn you." She then proceeded to shove him away and carried on reading their maps.

Jack looked towards the Master, finding him not best pleased, "Women, huh? Heh, and she said 'pussy'."

"Everything's a sick joke to you, isn't it? Go and scout ahead." the Master made it clear that he wasn't to be messed with.

Jack rubbed his sore lip as he ran ahead of them, coming across something important, "Mast– oh, the hell with it – Kos, Donna, Martha!"

The grime was rubbed away; red wool.

"Her cardigan," the Master nodded, "We're closing in. Are they in the same place?"

Donna nodded, checking the readouts, "Almost like they're waiting for us."

"I wouldn't be surprised." the Master walked ahead of all of them, "We can't stop now."

"None of us were contemplating that." Martha said, running into line with him, "She's friends with my godson; I haven't even told him she's missing."

"But he knows somethings off; they're _best friends_."

"I've often thought them together, I mean, in the future… you'll be walking her down the aisle."

The Master grinned, "You may be standing in as the mother of the groom – I don't wish his parents any harm–!"

Martha took his hands in hers, stopping them in their tracks, "I know you don't, but I still… will be."

The Master looked into her eyes and saw so much grief, "They died?"

She nodded as she felt him squeeze her hands in a comforting gesture, "His mum died of a brain tumour a few months ago, and his dad just… couldn't cope." she returned his gaze, feeling his sincerity, "I didn't tell him about Amelia because he's got enough on his plate."

"I'm sorry… how's he holding up?" they went back to walking, finding a pace that suited them.

"As well as you'd expect; he's a little fighter. A bit confused, but I explained to him why he'd stay with me from then on and he seemed to accept it. I hear him crying at night though, and I can't help him because I'm not his mum." She was thankful that their hand-holding had not been relinquished for now.

"I lost my mum when I was about his age, but I was lucky – the Doctor was there to help me through it. Now let us help you and that little boy; straight after we have Amelia back, we're all celebrating."

Martha grinned, "They're the luckiest kids in the world."

They came across more tatters, "Do you think she's leaving a trail for us?"

The Master shouted back to Donna, "What's their current location?"

"Same." she yelled back, "Though we might as well be going in circles."

"Why?" he and Martha walked back into the group, becoming increasingly worried.

"I dunno, they keep… fizzing out? Maybe this thing's on the blink."

"It's brand new." Jack said, incredulous.

Donna turned to him and scowled, "My new hair-dryer packed up after five seconds. Who's to say alien technology is any different?"

The Master stared at the display – his daughter and her marauders were blipping out every so often while the rest remained unchanged, "You're both right." he placed the tracker in front of himself so they could all see the information, "The device is working perfectly – my little girl _isn't_!"

* * *

The Doctor's mind had been made up for him, as had his bed when he awoke on the floor.

He winced as his children complained at being so tossed about, "I know, it won't happen again… just be sure to stay in there until you're due." he rubbed his bruised belly, feeling the babies clamour for his warm palms.

His back spasmed again, "Almost forgot about those…" he clung to the side of the bed, gripping his way upright, "Let's hope your daddy has found your big sister… and let's hope your bigger sister hasn't found out about any of this. God help me if it really is her…"

Quite an instinct was switched on inside him as he left his room and re-entered the console room, noticing the door was unlocked, "He never remembers to lock the door… that wonderful man!" the Doctor also knew him well enough to know that he would have left defence aids under the console, "I love him!"

He rubbed his belly again for luck as he hauled his defence out from the TARDIS – his babies were his good luck, they had to be. While nothing meant more to him in the universe (besides maybe the Master), he couldn't stand idly by with them in his womb while one of his other children was in danger.

Once again, he failed to notice the most important thing; a thick trail of umbilical fluids, leading from the doors of the TARDIS and continuing with him as he walked.

* * *

The Master shivered, as did his hand in Martha's grasp, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know… it feels like my husband is about to do something stupid."

"Let's hope not, for the babies sake?" she squeezed his hand back, feeling a chill setting in very bones as his body tensed by instinct.

"Something's wrong; he isn't picking up the phone." Jack came up behind them, brandishing his mobile with the dial tone.

"He'll be asleep; too conked out for the phone to wake him up." Martha said.

The Master closed Jack's phone, "Hope you're right. We're nearly there, let's keep moving." he removed his hand from Martha's, walking onward.

"He's just deflecting, it'll pass."

"And what if the Doctor is out there?" Donna asked – so far their scanners hadn't picked up anything to say he was.

"God help us if he is. But the Master's right, we need to keep moving if we've any chance of finding Amelia." and Jack trekked up to the Master's side, finding he'd stopped.

"It's like a crater…" the Master shook his head, "It can't be that size and still be natural; something big must have crash-landed. It looks like an old indent, so I shouldn't worry that Amelia was harmed by it; she and the 'Not-people' are practically in the middle of it and still sending out signals."

"You can tell all that from here?" Jack said, staring at the crater with him.

"I can tell anything from anything." the Master said, standing to their mission with renewed fervour.

"Is this anything like what it was like in the war?"

The Master finally turned to him, "You'd have to ask the Doctor, but I'm sure he'd tell you it was hell." he walked over to the crater's ridge, making sure to keep his footing. He tapped it with his foot once and cautiously stood back, "The area's stable; just make sure to be careful on your way down."

"How're we going to get down there without climbing equipment, columbo?" Donna and Martha had made it, having not had time to stock up on energy, and it was Donna who voiced this problem.

The Master ruffled around in his jacket and removed his hand holding a opaque tube, "Gravity pills; there's a medical cabinet on the TARDIS filled with crazier stuff than this. They'll take effect as soon as we jump." the Master tried to demonstrate and took one of the pills himself, grimacing through the acidic taste.

"They look painful. Are they painful?" Martha asked, stepping back with Donna.

"They just taste a bit horrible; like your least favourite chewing gum. It's not so bad once you get past the aftertaste, and they'll get us down to the crater's surface successfully. I'll show you." he lobbed the pill tube to Jack and, being careful to manage his trajectory, jumped over the crater's crudely formed edge.

For a few seconds they waited for a crash, but when it came it was only a gentle plod. They looked over the ridge, seeing the Master resurface – dusty and a bit bruised, but no worse for wear.

"See! It's fine!" he yelled up at them, jubilantly waving.

Doctor walked back hastily and stood defiant, "I'm still not jumping."

"Too bad, you're our only tracker." and with that, Jack removed a second pill from the tube.

Donna took the pill (again in defiance and a little bit of queasiness), "That girl better be alive when we get there."

* * *

The Doctor, after only half an hour, paused to catch his breath.

"Not as young as I once was… or these three are holding me up." the Doctor smiled despite the crippling pain on his lower back and rubbed his steadily bouncing belly, "Not long now, my babies, and you'll be with us – hopefully not before we find your sister and get back to Earth, but the way I'm feeling now I might as well be in labour…"

Then it all dawned on him.

He looked back at his progress and groaned, "You kids certainly picked the best time to make your entrance."

For only a second, he wished he could have stayed in the TARDIS; then he remembered the reason he was outside on a barren planet with no name.

He stood back up and said, "Sod my own health, I'm getting my daughter back _and_ having triplets." the unsteady waddle forward was met with intense pain on his part, and mental squeaks of protest from the babies, "Walking about gets the actual labour going… Right, so I just need to get them out of me and I can go find Amelia. Certainly harder than it sounds…" they kept giving him the urge to _PUSH!_, but he knew he wasn't fully dilated and so padded ahead on swollen ankles.

The Doctor had always known the babies would come catastrophically, in less than desirable surroundings with no medical equipment or pain relief, no matter how much everyone had tried to reassure him – it was just his luck. His arse already felt like it was being ruined from the inside out.

He walked further and found lots of craters, all gradually getting bigger; as soon as he came across the biggest crater he'd ever seen, he knew his family was in it.

He padded around in his clothing, suddenly remembering that he'd left the gravity pills in the TARDIS – how on Earth was he going to get down with the punishing contractions growing wider? He didn't have the TARDIS, he had no help whatsoever.

Then suddenly, he was kicked.

**A/N: **Allot went on in this chapter, and I actually got it to 4 pages in OpenOffice! And now I'm happy, having nearly finished my work for art class (I'm drawing the Tenth Doctor!) and I'm now watching new DIY SOS. And I've managed to do a double posting!

Ooh, and what's happened to the Doctor? Will he survive? Will the labour go ahead successfully? Will Amelia be found alive and well? All these questions and more will be answered soon enough, hopefully with time left to put up a Christmassy epilogue.


	37. Perpetuity

**A/N:** I'd be lying if I said other things don't keep getting in the way with this fic; first that whole school writing thing (which left me a bit burned out), then motivating myself to finish my Tenth Doctor portrait for art class (which I've thankfully finished) and to scan/draw/type a million other things, I just couldn't find the time (or any free brain stamina) to get on with this fic. But I've only got my art exam and a few other things to do now, so my time should be a bit more freed up for this, and I've finally sorted out my Christmas list so that won't take any more of my hard-earned typing time.

To those of you who may be worried for Amelia, the Doctor and his babies, don't be; I _did_ promise a Christmas epilogue, and were would that lovely epilogue be without our main characters? But there's sure to be turmoil along the way…

**Chapter 37 – Perpetuity**

He had blacked out, he knew. What had caused him to topple so from his perch above the mire?

"Oh, my head's banging…" then a voice laughed in front of him, disembodied like from a ghost. "Are you here again? I'm beginning to get tired of this."

To his surprise, she helped him up, "This is no walk in the park for me either; it's just my job."

The Doctor was outraged, "To make my life a living hell?"

River Song moved the hair from her face as she kept holding him up, "You won't make it back in time to have a safe delivery in the TARDIS, but I guess you don't want that."

He laughed drily through the contractions, "Oh yes, I got myself pregnant to a former maniac and adopted a wonderful little girl just so she could be taken away by a group of crazy spectres. Isn't that what I always do? Now I'm stuck on the back-end of planets in a dusty deluge giving birth to three excruciatingly painful babies."

"When did the contractions start?"

He stared at her, thoroughly steamed, "You're a bloody _archaeologist_!"

"Right now I'm the closest thing to a Doctor you're find, now when did the contractions start?"

"…Maybe a couple of minutes after you last talked to me."

"Doctor, I haven't talked to you in months."

He glared holes at her, "Well, about an hour ago I talked to you! Now bloody estimate the time and help me give birth or I'll do something I might regret."

"Right, just… maybe you should lie down." she pointed to a relatively flat and clean expanse of floor near the crater wall.

"They're coming out of my arse, genius!" the Doctor yelled, looking at her in disbelief.

River seemed taken aback, "No need for language; you'll just have to go down on all fours."

By this point, the Doctor had given up on arguing due to searing pain and willingly placed his knees and elbows on the difficult ground.

* * *

"It's official; the Doctor is in."

The Master flipped round to face Donna, "What are you on about now?"

"He's out of the TARDIS, you div! And he knows where he's going, he just dropped down to our level."

"With our babies!"

"He wouldn't just endanger himself and them like that" Jack said, checking the readouts himself much to Donna's chagrin.

"_And_ he's a tricky man; I once caught him trying to see if he could open a wormhole into Villenguard using my hair tongs." Martha reminded them, "There's never any telling what he could do."

"He always tries to be the hero, doesn't he? Sooner or later it'll get him killed." the Master said, radioing Jenny, "Can we call you if your dad turns up? We need him well away from here but he took the TARDIS and now he's making his way to us."

Jenny radioed back in the affirmative, leaving the Master no less paranoid for the Doctor's safety, "Donna?"

"He hasn't moved for a couple of minutes."

"Maybe he's finally stopped to rest."

Donna shook her head, "No, his arrival to ground level was pretty sudden – he may be concussed if he fell, but he moved for a bit afterwards and now he isn't moving an inch."

The Master felt some of his paranoia dissipate, "Then we can call Jenny to take him back to the TARDIS."

One more piece of red fabric was found, and the Master laid their concurrent pieces out of a flat rock, "Amelia's given up her entire cardigan to leave a trail for us. How close in are we?"

"Very." Donna said whilst Jack was once again confirming her analysis, "You wanna move, or do I need to punch your lights out?"

Jack held up his hands in retreat, "It's always good to have a second pair of eyes."

"Well thank you very much, king leer, but I'd rather you weren't breathing down my neck"

"Your loss." Jack said, flashing her one of his trademark jellifying smiles."

"And you can turn that face of yours off n'all; your bright teeth are an eyesore."

"He uses whitener!" was yelled somewhere ahead of them as Jack sought to replace his shattered reputation.

"Look, Donna, can't we just be friends?"

"I bet you say that to all the girls – and whoever else you think you can get, knowing you." Donna said, not being taken in for a fool.

"This is purely professional; I don't think Amelia would like it if Auntie Donna and Uncle Jack kept on like this."

"Don't you _dare_ push her into our arguments! For all we know she could be dead!" Donna hissed, giving Jack a quick roundhouse before catching up with the rest of their group.

* * *

"My breasts feel like lead weights, I can't feel anything beyond my lower back except my body being torn apart, and I just happened to be holding myself up doggy-style while an archaeologist feels around in my bum. Anything else, pseudo-midwife?"

"Just shut up, you're nearly at 10 centimetres." River said, removing her hand from the Doctor's insides, "Now when I say push, you give it whatever you've got."

"So, did you also train as a midwife?" the Doctor asked, actually interested by how calm she was and trying to make conversation to distract himself.

"No, just call it intuition – now _PUSH!_"

The Doctor certainly felt like they were coming when he nearly collapsed from the pressure, feeling as though his arms were like wire as he clung to the floor.

"Doctor, you've going to have to unclench down there if you ever want them to come out."

"I'm in bloody _labour_, woman, give a pregnant Time Lord a break!" the Doctor shouted back hoarsely, though doing as she said.

"Okay, I think I see…" she paused, looking intently and then popping back up to ask, "Which way out is considered normal for a Gallifreyan baby?"

"The right way out!" the Doctor yelled, beginning to question the competence of his stand-in midwife.

"There's what looks like a head and… I think I see ears!" she exclaimed, quite high-pitched in his ear, "That's a good sign, right?"

"If you could see the entire body I'd be very grateful!"

"I see shoulders… you're lucky, they're fast about this. And legs… this one won't wait!"

"Thank god!" the Doctor muttered, feeling something leave at last – Gallifreyan births were notoriously fast compared to humans'.

He couldn't see the baby behind him, not even think of it as the other two tried to make their way into the universe. He heard crying, thankful that at least his first born was alive.

"It's a… you've got a baby boy!"

He didn't have time to be overjoyed, not with everything on his mind as he began pushing out yet another of his and the Master's offspring, "They've all got their dad's big head!"

If he had the sense to look behind him, he would have seen River standing with his baby and crying real tears, "You're doing great, just a dozen more pushes!"

Everything the Doctor felt was different, and _so, so painful_, but he knew a miracle was taking place between his very body and the world.

Another baby crying after what felt like hours of nothing but discomfort, pushing and trying to control his breathing, "Another boy!" was River's joyful yell in his direction.

_My bum'll be sore in the morning_, he briefly thought. The Master wouldn't want to go anywhere near him for months…

"It's no good stopping now! This one's coming whether you want it to or not." River Song shouted, reminding the Doctor of the task at hand.

He couldn't check how long they'd been there, just waiting for his third child to declare itself born, and although his two boys had happily calmed down in River's arms, there seemed to be no hope for a third baby.

He dared to look look behind himself. There was such a sense of wonderment on the woman's face; like she'd never seen a perfectly healthy baby being born before…

And then the moment ended.

"She's not breathing." River whispered, shaking her head, "No, she never was." she contemplated handing her to her mother, but thought better of it.

"Let me see." the Doctor said, shifting to face her – he couldn't feel anything downstairs anyway.

It her arms were two amazing little boys… and a girl that had clearly not survived.

"We must be able to do something… anything!"

"If the lungs don't start taking in air as soon as the baby comes into contact with it, there's very little hope of resuscitation…"

"_I don't care._" the Doctor snapped, speaking with a gruff tone, "She's my…"

His disappointment was fleeting, his anger even moreso.

"She's your baby girl." River finished for him, holding the baby forward clumsily for him to see, "Would you like to hold her?"

There was silence as the Doctor begrudgingly took hold of his dead daughter, noting the extremely low body temperature.

For a while he just sat there and cuddled her in his arms, wishing that everything could be okay and she'd start crying, pooping, _anything_ as a sign of life. He knew it was all hopeless as his arms shook and everything around him faded into darkness.

"You've given birth!"

He looked up for the last time. River was gone and had left his two other babies precariously in his lap. Jenny stood before him – hope at last.

* * *

It had been quite some time since the Doctor had moved or Jenny had radioed it – time worked differently in different stretches of crater floor.

There were no more scraps of clothing for miles; surely a sign that they were on the right track.

The Master's radio bleeped and he hurried to de-holster it, "Jenny?"

"_Dad's had the babies._" came a crackling reply, "_He stopped moving because he could only hold up and wait._"

The Master had stopped breathing and for a moment feared that his respiratory bypass may kick in, "Are they all alive and well."

He knew there couldn't be a delay on the line when she hesitated to say, "_Two boys and a dead girl._"

He felt physically sick in an instant and nearly forced the tears to subside, "Put him on the phone."

"_I don't think that's wise with his current sta_–"

"I said **PUT HIM ON!**"

He heard a rifling as the radio was handed over, and then heard sobbing as the Doctor murmured, "_Our baby girl… she never even got her first breath, it was hopeless…_"

"No, my dear Doctor, what's hopeless is _YOU_."

"_I don't_–"

"_You_ couldn't stay in the TARDIS like I told you to, _you _have been expecting everything to go wrong, and _you_ knew full well what _you_ were doing when _you_ jeopardized our babies LIVES."

Everyone overheard them, and Martha finally wrenched the radio out the Master's hand, "He doesn't know what he's saying."

"_We all know he would have been thinking it._" and the radio buzzed off.

Donna was on top form today as the slapped the Master right in his cheek, "Well done; you just insulted the mother of your children for no good reason."

"Am I the only one who realizes what just happened!" the Master exclaimed, rubbing his cheek

"You _don't_ tell off a man who's just given birth, just because of a baby's death which _he had no control over_." Donna sternly advised, waving a warning finger in his face.

"_Our_ baby's death." he corrected.

"Still doesn't give you the right to go mouthing off at him."

His anger was boiling down to a simmer, he found, "Martha, think you can go and get him back to the TARDIS?"

"Only if you're willing to apologize to him when this is all over."

The Master looked at the three people before him, "Are _all_ the women ganging up on me today?"

Jack became aloof at this, "Hey, do I look like a woman to you?"

* * *

"He hates me." the Doctor said, removing his finger from the disconnect button.

"He doesn't hate you, he's just upset and angry and… looking for someone to blame." Jenny said, sitting down next to him, "But hey, I've got two little brothers." she took one into her arms and looked at the two of them, "And they _both_ look allot like the Master, that's just freaky."

The Doctor could only continue staring at the baby in his arms – a baby girl with a thick tuft of brown hair resembling that of his previous incarnation, "Isn't she beautiful?"

"She's yours, what did you expect?"

The Doctor seemed withdrawn, "I expected her to be alive."

**A/N:** Wowzers, things are getting… well, pretty grim for our mismatched family, and still no sign of Amelia. And really when I thought the big plot would take place in some sort of Earth-looking graveyard, it's actually taking place on a mudball of an uninhabited planet, in a gigantic crater of all things. I really hate myself for for killing off one of the babies, but it's quite crucial to the plot and she will be alive and well sometime later due to, I dunno, regeneration, or something similar and equally Time Lord-y.

I'm going to be doing some scanning tonight – just thought I'd put this up before I willed myself to do any of that, and I want to warn you that during the next chapter, Jack will be his usual naughty self and Donna will be about ready to kill him. I don't really remember what happens with the Doctor, the Master and their family. Amelia will be found eventually, I'm sure. And then all will be right in the Doctor's little universe… right?

This was started on Monday and finished on Tuesday, but OpenOffice has been glitching all week, so I didn't have much opportunity to put this up. Now I'm going to watch new Simpsons and hopefully crack on with chapter 38 a bit more; I've already got it up to two pages in the thankfully now un-glitchy OpenOffice.


	38. Small mercies

**A/N:** I don't have much to say. Just that I'm happy that OpenOffice is letting me save things again (check the last chapter's end A/N for the story of why it wouldn't). I'm also looking forward to Christmas – I must have chosen about a dozen annuals, and the three Terry Pratchett movies in one box set (sadly, the books themselves don't catch my interest). Christmas next year, I _might_ just be able to get a 3DS if I can sell my DS and/or Dsi and make a good enough profit.

We're nearly at chapter 40! A bit of whovian trivia (Whovia?) for you all: The TARDIS that the Doctor drives is a Type 40 Mark III Model TARDIS – not a very up-to-date model even when he got it, as it goes.

**Chapter 38 – Small mercies**

The Master was pacing. Damn that Doctor and his infectious habits!

"It was early in the pregnancy; even the respiratory bypass couldn't have been fully developed." Donna told him, watching his snarl gradually abate, but for fear of her slapping him again.

"You can't spend your whole life blaming him. You said yourself, if anything bad happened you'd get through it together." Jack said, at the time not being very helpful.

The Master rounded on all of them, "Why does there have to be another thing for me to worry about, huh? Why couldn't he bloody just stay inside…"

"It was never guaranteed that they'd all survive, even in the safety of the TARDIS." Donna reminded him.

The Master ran through events in his head: Amelia getting kidnapped by a bunch a strange reclusive beings called the 'Not-people', gathering a small search party (with the Judoon on call if need be), the Doctor stealing the TARDIS while none of them were looking, finding the crater in which Amelia had been located and lowering into said crater, walking for god-knows how many miles until finally reaching some conclusions and finding a way forward, the Doctor exiting the TARDIS and walking for hours until falling head-first into the very same crater and possibly causing premature labour, then going into said labour only to find out one of their babies was dead.

"He's bloody brought this on himself, the prat…"

"Excuse me? I think you'll find something equally if not more painful brought on you in a minute, mate."

"No, I mean – both of you, how many times has he told you to stay somewhere and you've deliberately disobeyed him?"

"I'd rather stay where it's safe." Donna admitted, though this caused Jack to grin.

"We can't all have wandered off 546 times, baby." he said, not really hoping to curry her favour.

"And it's a wonder you had to be made immortal." Donna said, turning back to the Master for his unfinished wisdom.

"All I'm saying is, today – and numerous times recently, if I remember – he's directly disobeyed one of his own rules and look where it's got us."

"He's bound to be a bit… weird, it's who he is, and he's done stranger; He once swore a vendetta against the Alturian pope over an arm-wrestling tournament."

"It was a very serious arm-wrestling tournament." Jack scolded, "Whoever won got to free the Alturian people from years of torture."

"By _bubblegum_."

"It was a very whack religion but it still used a substance deadly to the planet's population."

"Can you two not be an old married couple right now? I think we may have gone off track somewhere very early in this conversation." the Master snapped, "If both of you don't quieten down or help me figure a way out of this mess, I may just have to knock your heads together."

"She started it!"

"Do you realize how ridiculous you sound?"

"You look it!"

The Master's patience was clearly wearing thin, "If you two don't shut up I'm going to send you back to help Martha!"

They had reached an expanse of land where the energy levels rose, finally.

"What's that smell?" Donna asked, completely forgetting about her and Jack's previous arguments.

"Artron energy – it's quite diluted on the TARDIS so you don't notice it there, but wouldn't recognize it with this high a concentration."

"Okay, without science speak, is it _dangerous_?"

The Master saw an opportunity for laughs and cunningly said, "Jack and I will be fine, but I'm afraid… it won't be good news for you." he winked at Jack, who quickly cottoned on.

"Yeah, you're only human; you'll never fully be used to the effects." Jack said theatrically, managing to keep a straight face.

"What'll happen to me?" Donna asked, conveniently forgetting they were already surrounded by artron energy.

"Oh nothing, really… just a little question: have your family already made funeral arrangements for you?"

"Why would they need to?"

"Absolutely no reason! Just that this stuff tends to strip off your skin and leave like lazy Vashta Nerada if you're just a mortal human." the Master said, about to snap at Jack who had started snickering.

The effect was immediate, of course.

"I'm gonna bloody _DIE_! I should've stayed at the base!" for a second she looked terrified.

"Sadly yes, but there _is_ a way to survive." Jack said, suddenly getting a better idea, "An outlying source needs to induce a heightened emotional state."

"Yes, that's what you've got!"

"…Not _that_ kind of heightened emotional state." Jack was clearly enjoying this to no end.

It took her a few minutes to gather the meaning of his words, and she looked between the two men and then pointed a wary finger at the Master, "Maybe him but not you!"

"Oh c'mon, you know a part of all our arguments is just sexual tension!" Jack said.

"And part of what _I_ am is not being a hussy." Donna said, although the thought of her impending radiation-induced death was getting to her.

"You're pulling my chain." she said doubtfully.

"And if we aren't?"

"Then if I _do_ die, there's still a slim chance I won't be going to hell."

"Oh, baby I've been there – s'not as bad as everyone says."

"I'll believe that when I _don't_ see it." Donna said.

"Brilliant, let's get going!" the Master said, now bored with their slowly crashing joke.

* * *

The Doctor was done crying, and his legs had fallen asleep.

"We need to keep moving."

"Hold on!" Jenny said, pulling him back down, "You've just given birth and sustained a major loss, you're not going anywhere until Martha gets here."

"It always comes down to me; they couldn't have taken Amelia if not to hurt me and my family."

"You can't always be the hero, let someone else save the day for a change." she rebuked, "You're in a bad enough state as it is."

"I'm fine."

"You're haemorrhaging."

"That's normal." the Doctor said, not looking down at himself.

Jenny shook her head, "I love you dad, but sometimes you're an idiot."

"No, what I am is _myself_ again, for the first time in so many months." the Doctor said with a little bit of reverence in voice, "I'm oafish, stubborn, unnervingly intelligent and at times stupid, clumsy and brainless, but I am no idiot."

"Doctor?"

He looked in front of him – "Martha Jones, nice of you to show up." he sat up and pointed to the damp terrain behind them, "The TARDIS is that way."

He assumed, in his grief, that not even Martha could understand what he was going through, and so he became neutrally indifferent.

"Dad, we should get going." Jenny moved to help the Doctor stand, but he quickly shoved her off.

"I'm not pregnant anymore." neither the chill in the air nor his feet a foot deep in muck got to him as he sought to stand unaided, "I don't want to be treated like I can't do anything."

"Doctor, that's what you need most right now." Martha said, "Your body won't be able to cope with the walk back to the TARDIS if you're doing it on your own."

"Who says I want to go back?" he looked back to his baby daughter and then at his boys, "If this is all there is, there's nothing there for me anymore."

"There's the correct equipment to clean you up; you're covered in swamp grime and amniotic fluid."

"At least try to name her." Jenny implored.

"Sarah Jane – I was always going to use that name if we ever had a girl, and now it's quite ironic." the Doctor nodded, "Sarah Jane Smith; your auntie's got nothing on you."

"I'm probably overstepping my mark here, but you could give her a middle name too." Martha said, looking down at the little bundle quizzically.

"What? What more could I do?"

Martha continued, "I was going to call my daughter Melody, but I think it suits this little one better," she opened her bag and they caught a glimpse of a fuzzy image.

"How far along are you?" the Doctor asked, seeing a marvellous little life forming in an ultrasound picture.

"About eight weeks."

"Mickey coping well with the news? He's always been an emotional bloke."

Martha shook her head, "Doesn't know; I only just got this image done before I was called up by your husband, and I don't know what to tell mine."

The Doctor knew that despite their quarrels (mostly concerning Rose and/or Jack), Mickey had always been a loyal friend, and his expertise when they left Amelia with him and Martha was enough to tell that he loved children.

But he had more important things to get on with, and would fix Martha's level of communication with Mickey later.

"Jenny's right, I need to keep moving. We're losing too much time as it is."

"The Master's finding Amelia, you don't have to do anything."

"The day the Master and I adopted Amelia, her DNA was intelligently hardwired with each of ours respectively – whatever happens, she's biologically ours and the mothering bond has triplicated over the time we've had her, I'm her _mother_ and this isn't the best time to try to stop me from saving her. So either take me and the babies back to the TARDIS and condemn me to emotional torture, or let me find her." he paused to take a breath and then finished, "My boys are too young to know anything and they seem to be surviving well; Amelia is my little girl and I keep sensing her calling out to me."

"She probably wants both of you."

"I am her mother, I am the one who protects her, it's been that way even since before we invented time travel, all the fathers are good for is being a strong male presence." at this moment the Doctor seemed so old, or most likely it was his words, which bore an air of many a chapter in Gallifreyan history.

"Times change, dad, you have to let the Master do all the work with this one thing." Jenny said, hoping to bring him back to the present and instantly regretting her choice of words.

"It's my right as a mother to be the one to protect my young."

It was clear that neither Martha nor Jenny realized quite how deep this bond ran, and he tried a different tact, "Martha, when that baby's born and there's an alien invasion on your doorstep, won't you be the first to protect your baby by any means necessary?" he saw Martha falter at his words, clearly a sore spot had been hit.

"He's right, but don't listen to him, we have his best interests at heart." Jenny said, looking towards Martha pleadingly

A few years ago, Martha Jones had thought the Master to be cold, insane and manipulative, but now she was seeing this side with the Doctor and it terrified her, "We're taking you to the TARDIS whether you like it or not."

"Nice try Martha, but I can hear the break in your voice. Do you really have it in your heart to keep me from the child I've fought so long for?" his eyes sparkled with a madness long forgotten, and had he had any sense at the time even he would have realized how senseless he sounded.

"Soon your babies won't be able to live on respiratory bypass alone and we'll _have_ to get them to the TARDIS."

Martha felt a tap on her head like a knock on a telepathic door, and so answered it, _What are you doing?_

_I nicked the sonic from dad when I found him and just used it to ramp up your telepathic capabilities._

_It can do that?_ Martha tried not to show a hint of surprise on her face.

_Yes, now listen – a while ago I buried myself in the TARDIS library and did some research. While the babies may be post-labour and vulnerable, dad's number one priority is always going to be his eldest who's in danger._

_So he can't help going looking for Amelia, it's biologically predetermined?_

_If I was in any trouble, his brain would naturally switch to focus on me._

_So can't you just fake something to get his attention?_ Martha was getting decidedly impatient.

_If we do, he won't know where to turn and it may cause irrevocable damage to his state of mind – worse than it already is._

_So we just let him go after Amelia?_

_If it means any chance of him turning back to normal after she's found, yes. He can't help being this way, just like I bet you'd give your life for your baby right this second._

Martha prepared to roll her eyes – she should have known it was no use to have told them, they'd keep pushing the argument of her baby forward until they all reached some similar conclusion.

"We're taking the babies back to the TARDIS, getting the Doctor and them cleaned up (with the babies put the bed) and then all three of us are going to catch up with the Master; I can perform my post mortem later if we can keep Sarah Jane from decomposing."

Jenny nodded, "There should be a forensics centre somewhere on the TARDIS that has everything we need."

* * *

Things between Jack and Donna calmed down, much to the Master's short-lived relief.

"Okay, I've got one you'll like – 'shag, marry, push off a cliff'" Donna said, edging to Jack smartly.

"I love that one! Okay… Brian Blessed, Jo Brand and the Doctor."

"That's not fair, you gave me a woman and my best friend!"

"Play the game, coward."

"Eugh, okay… I'd shag the Doctor because, y'know, he's my friend and he'd completely understand. I'd marry Jo Brand because she seems like a nice woman and I've always fancied someone who can make me laugh."

"So you'd push Brian Blessed off a cliff?" Jack asked, one eyebrow now firmly raised.

"Oh yeah, the entire universe would sing my praises!"

As the two people behind him dissolved into raucous laughter, the Master became thankful that he had packed earplugs and they were still making good time.

"Okay, now you! Err… the inventor of facebook, Simon Cowell and Mickey – if you can name a friend, so can I."

"… Everything to Mark Zuckerberg. I'd sleep with him, marry him, and then push him off a cliff and collect on his insurance." Jack got a thoughtful look on his face, "I wouldn't touch Simon Cowell with a bargepole, and I'd have to marry Mickey if he weren't married already."

"You turned an innocent game upside its head! I'll give you only one person next time…"

"Throw it at me."

Donna thought up a sly payback, "What would you do with me? And don't say 'push off a cliff'; I'd push _you_ off hours before you even had a chance to get near me."

"Perhaps a whirlwind romance with the redhead from Chiswick? I'll admit I've never been much of a marrying type."

"No? unbelievable." Donna said wryly.

"No, just listen! I wouldn't just do and leave like someone I haven't gotten to know as well as you, and especially as the Doctor would kill me; I can already tell you're not much for people making a fuss, but I'd do it anyway. Take you out for dinner, pay the bill, and _then_…" he leant forward and closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable – no pain came.

His eyes opened and he saw her smiling.

"Well, here's what I'd do; seeing as you took the trouble to wine [I'm assuming there's alcohol involved] and dine me, I'll pay the bill and there'll be no exception. Then I'd let you walk me home, maybe you'll get to hold my hand on the way if you're lucky," She leant forward like he had only a moment ago, "And then _this_…"

A few minutes later the Master looked behind himself and sighed, seeing his team-mates a dozen feet away, "Can you too keep your faces off each other for one second? We have a previous engagement to attend to, if you'd kindly disengage."

Martha was going to be asking him what she'd missed, he was sure, while Jack and Donna were being secretive about their newfound relationship.

"You two don't have to pretend in front of me; the TARDIS has sensed you getting together for years." the Master said, "You probably both deserve this – yes Jack, even you."

Jack turned back to Donna suddenly, "Wait, aren't you married?"

"Shaun was never really exciting enough for me, and I was too over the top for him. We're divorced now, so I'm a free agent."

"I guess that would make me a free ex time agent?"

Donna nodded, "Only until we find Amelia – and you'll have to stop with all the cracks if you think you have a chance in hell with me."

"Yes, ma'am." Jack said, pulling them in line with the Master.

**A/N:** Honestly, I'm not sure if they made any headway, I got so carried away writing Jack and Donna's developing relationship that I only just noticed this is up to 5 pages in OpenOffice.

Didn't I get this done fast! But really, I'm putting it up only a few days after I put up the last chapter, when it was started on something like… Thursday last week? Yeah, that's it. I've probably got it done faster than allot of my other recent chapters. Surely we're getting somewhere?

I think I've always secretly shipped Jack/Donna – you may see a Doctor/Donna fic in my online repertoire, but really I ship lots of pairings and they virtually never coincide. But Jack/Donna is cute in this fic, isn't it? I think it'd been a long time coming, and I axed Shaun what'shisname specifically so the Jack/Donna pairing could blossom.

Am I done talking? I can never be sure, I just know I should really be getting things wrapped up with a nice sparkly bow so I can write that Christmassy epilogue I promised. And I'll stop making Jack so schmaltzy. Maybe.

I've got one more thing to say - I'm aware that some of you may be in shock over the sudden turn in the storyline with the little Sarah Jane's death, and I myself would be upset it wasn't for the happy ending I'm thinking of. I don't want to give anything away, but at the same time I want none of you to be left in the lurch, as is the problems of a writer... I've started writing chapter 39 already! so we're getting somewhere.


	39. Skies

**A/N:** I now realize that most of you (if there are any of you out there) are quite shocked that I killed off one of the babies. I, for one, am just exuberant that you've been paying attention! I know I can go off in a bit of a tangent, but little Sarah Jane Melody Smith's death is really a big part of the plot. I don't want to give anything away! Least of all the epilogue, which I think will bring with it a hearty surprise.

**Chapter 39 - Skies**

The Master would have been lying if he said he wasn't an old romantic – that was always more his mate's thing, but he had his moments too.

"You suit each other; you're both raving mad." he said brightly, still following the trail as the two came up beside him, "that's part of what attracted me to the Doctor."

"I was wondering why you two got together." Donna said, "So it wasn't for his nice bum, then?"

"It's merely a perk of our relationship, but I think you won that bet with Jack."

"What d'ya mean?" Jack asked, looking like a slapped fish.

"He's talking about your tushy – it's so soft and squeezable!" Donna said, doing said squeezing.

"What's the matter, Jack, got more than you bargained for?" the Master said, noting a definite flush in Jack's face.

Jack shook his head and walked away from Donna's grasp, "Sorry ladies, but we have a job to do, do we not?"

They could smell the energy permeating their very nostrils now, though the Master now thought this may just be the pheromones flying through the air. Something bigger than anything he had sensed so far washed over him, and he shivered.

"What is it?" Donna asked, glad to not be feeling any stranger than she already did.

"I think… it felt like someone was walking over my grave. Does that make any sense?"

"You mean you felt a ghost passing through you?" Donna said, looking around them like a startled chicken.

"Don't be ridiculous! There's no such things as ghosts, there's no scientific theory on them that's been proven – there are certainly aliens who look allot like your Earth ghosts and aliens that are undead and appear to be quite ghostly, but ghosts are superstitious drivel."

"That's like what the Doctor said – before _she_ got him!"

The Master looked at her blankly, "Who."

"Sky Sylvestri, you moron!"

The Master ran through a mental catalogue of memories he'd collected from the Doctor, and came upon only one that provided an explanation – '_Midnight_'.

He passed through all the Doctor's pain and terror at Sky's mysterious assimilation and subsequent assimilating, wondering how these memories had passed under his radar – the Doctor couldn't move, couldn't feel, only sense and hear others and watch them betray him one by one. The young lady – the only one who'd been on his side all the way through his ordeal – the lazy lad Jethro (what kind of name is that?) who was bullied into it by his overbearing, brainless parents, the so-called 'Professor' who had been one of the first to be driven to insanity by the woman's repetition, and the stewardess who had sacrificed herself for the safety of the entire cabin, they'd never even learnt her name – all that swirled in with what felt like centuries of hurt in only a few hours of sheer madness.

"Do you think this thing could have returned with Sky's body to reek vengeance for itself?"

"It can't be that – Sky and the stewardess were destroyed by the extonic rays."

"Excuse me, what am I missing here?" Jack asked, looking between the two.

"That day he'd been so fragile… he wouldn't even talk to me when I was allowed to see him. If it _is_ her, just in theory he'd be a broken man." Donna and the Master shared a knowing look, having both seen the Doctor's moods many times before but not on such a scale.

* * *

The Doctor had to admit that the weight that his babies had caused just _disappeared_ after the birth, though he still had to think about getting rid of all the leftover flab.

The baby in his arms was so pale – he couldn't think of what she'd have been like had she been alive, either smiling or crying. A motley of chestnut hair on her head would never grow, and he'd never get to see what colour her eyes were; might they be the same as his, or the Master's? He could only assume they would have been bright with new life.

They had made it back to the TARDIS in record time, much to his joy, as he was starting to realize how grubby he was. He cooed at his boys, who were being helpfully held by Martha and Jenny.

Both boys instantly recognized their mother, holding their arms out to him and nearly crying when no transfer took place. Was the Master still angry with him, and would they recognize him too? They seemed to be the spit of both of them, and too curious for their own good – they figured out they could move around just as Martha started examining them, and fidgeted endlessly while she tried to check if there was anything wrong with them, and she explained, "It's like they've got ants in their pants; can't think who they get that from."

The Doctor had refused to hand over Sarah Jane even after they had got there.

"Nice of you to finally notice you've got other kids besides Amelia." Jenny said, nearly having to remove her sister by force, the Doctor finally relinquishing his hold when he realized a sad truth – he may be the Doctor but even he didn't have a 'magic touch', and certainly nothing that could bring a person back from the dead.

"Wonder where a terraforming device is where you need one." Jenny said, not expecting it to sink in while her father was still in a grief-stricken daze.

"Terraforming device…" He looked down at Sarah Jane as she was washed, quietly wishing for his ideas to make sense.

"If we got a terraforming device like the one Messaline had and opened it on Sarah, maybe…"

Jenny's head shot up at his words, "Dad, you can't even consider that! It carries risks of its own, and if her life wasn't meant to be then it just wasn't, what you're thinking goes against everything you've ever told me."

"It brought you back to me, didn't it? Who's to say it will work any differently for a baby?" for a moment he looked down and could imagine how lively his new daughter could be, "And when do I ever follow my own rules?"

The Doctor was contradicting himself on so many levels, but inside the perpetual anonymity of the TARDIS he could forget about Amelia for a while and focus on whatever he liked, which was currently the haunting face of his last born. In birth and in death, she was only his and his responsibility alone.

His hearts were still racing, as Martha had told him, and he should try to keep as calm as possible to lower his heart rate. His body sagged as he finally let go of some of the pain, and the back of his head met the sheets of the infirmary bed he was laying on. It would be so nice to go to sleep and let his sore limbs heal… but the threat to Amelia was still niggling at his mind, and so his eyes shot open as soon as they closed.

"You're not getting up off that bed except to go to the bathroom." Martha said, walking up to both of them.

"I really don't want to have to move, but… who's watching the boys?"

Martha turned back to the changing unit she had left them on – they were nowhere to be seen.

"Martha Jones, what have you done with my babies!"

"ME? They've got your bloody genes, they obviously saw something shiny and crawled after it!"

Both the Doctor and Martha were on the floor now, looking under everything in sight and battling for ground dominance.

The Doctor sighed inwardly, "This is getting us nowhere; the TARDIS will alert us if she finds them."

"That's a pretty big 'if', they could be anywhere by now." Martha said, still checking under every object she could find.

"They're here." they overheard Jenny saying, and she walked back in with the boys while they both got up off the floor, "They spotted something _you'd_ normally see, dad." and jogging two surprisingly big premature babies in her arms, she held out the object of the babies' curiosities.

"Wires?" Martha said.

Jenny nodded, "Looks like they've been cut intentionally; I'd say we can't fly the TARDIS over long distances until we find a replacement."

"So we're stuck here." and with that, the Doctor sank to his knees.

"Possibly, but now you can do what everyone's been telling you to do and _rest_," Martha said, pulling him up on his feet and pushing him onto the bed, "No more arguments."

He was lactating, he noticed, "It's time for their feed anyway…"

One of the boys was placed into his arms and immediately latched on to his exposed breast, "They're naturals."

"Boys usually are." Martha agreed, "And they're underweight so they'll need all the milk they can get."

His arms lazed around both boys, and for a moment he was reminded of something, "We can fly short distances?"

"Yeah, probably." Jenny said, checking the on-board computer.

"What qualifies as a short distance with the TARDIS?" Martha asked.

"We could go to Diligo-Ortus through the time vortex." the Doctor said, "Drop these two off with the King and Queen while I fix the TARDIS' travel capabilities."

"Dad, I can fix them." Jenny said pleadingly, "You don't need to do anything – I can even trace the fault."

"I appreciate the offer, but–"

"We're all trying to help!" Martha said, "Why can't you just accept that and sit back? And you can cover up now…"

The Doctor had been so preoccupied with fighting his corner, he hardly noticed when his boys had stopped feeding, "If Amelia isn't in my arms as soon as she's found–"

Martha held up a hand to halt him, "She will be."

* * *

"Have you noticed anything strange about the outer atmosphere?"

"Like the fact that it says it's thirty degrees on the detector and we're all freezing cold?" Donna said, currently wrapped in on herself and shivering as she walked.

The Master pointed into the sky, "When we got here, it was sunny – I mean, the sky was clear and blue and everything. The closer we get to the anomaly, the sun is still there but the sky gets darker as we go along."

"So theoretically, our sun also acts as our moon?"

"Get a grip, Jack – he means whatever we're dealing with must be sapping the colour out of the sky as an alternative power source."

The sky was indeed pitch black by now, but a bright white sun still blazed regardless.

"If it had the ability to learn and adapt to its environment like this, maybe it can communicate with us on its' own terms."

"Oh, very good, you're starting to think just like your boyfriend – though a pity that you won't be seeing him again."

They all turned and saw nothing, none of them recognizing the deep male voice that her penetrated their earlobes, and then Donna got a strange look on her face like neither men had ever seen before.

"Not cold… _dead_." she croaked, feeling frozen in a different way entirely.

"Donna?" the Master asked, sensing he had watched this scenario before, and feeling such a chill at the thought of what it could be.

"What's wrong with her." Jack asked, scratching his head.

"Something has taken possession of her – something that took the Doctor a while back, if I'm not mistaken."

"Nothing gets past you." Donna was grinning darkly, but this face no longer belonged to her.

"I hope I'm speaking directly to the entity inside my friend, because I don't have all day. What have you done with Donna? Or might I ask, Sky Sylvestry?"

"Aren't you a charmer?" Donna said, slinking her way towards him, "I could almost regret snogging that handsome ex-time agent."

"I see we've found the being inhabiting Donna. Tell me, where is Donna?" the Master's eyes were sharp with focus, looking all around.

"Somewhere cowering in her own self-pity." the faux-Donna said, waving her hands about in boredom, "If we're lucky, we won't be seeing her again for a long time."

"You bring her back, you crazy bitch!" Jack shouted at her, then turning to the Master, "Do something!"

"I'm not the Doctor!" the Master yelled incredulously.

"You're close enough!"

"Silly boys, she _will_ be back if I get my way."

The Master turned to her, stonefaced, "You never answered my question."

"You're close, but there is far more to this story than even you can fathom, _Time Lord_." she spat, suddenly appearing angry.

"I don't believe we've previously met." he held out his hand, "The Master, and yes, you've probably heard of me – once upon a time, I slaughtered a third of the human race."

"Well done." she said, her face taking on a wicked snarl.

"So you're a human or humanoid hating creature. If you hate them so much, why do you possess them? The Doctor I can understand, but you said yourself that Donna's no prize."

"Just a little bit more ammo in a gun primed to kill." you can almost see the shadow of a forked tongue poking out of her smirk, but it could have been a trick of the light.

"Another bait on the hook." the Master said quietly, nearly looking down at the floor.

"Mine was better." Donna said, smiling.

The Master's head shot up and his eyes sparked with a resumed fervour "Donna is hardly confident, which is what lead us to the conclusion that you're not her – but you already knew that, which is also why you possessed her, the woman in question being of a weak-willed disposition and the most likely to be taken hold of the quickest in a very situation as this."

"Do stop babbling; it doesn't suit you."

"Do you have any demands?" Jack now asked, his knuckles going white round a still-balled up fist.

"Only that you should follow, and if you should find yourselves encountering something that would most likely kill you given half a chance, I'd recommend getting killed early." 'Donna' said, for once solemn.

"Will you lead us to Amelia?"

"It depends on how my friends are feeling; we could be walking for weeks and not find them, but rest assured she is with them. All your devices, I'm afraid, do not work in their midst, but I suppose we'll know when they're around us."

"Why are you trying to help?" Jack asked, scrutinizing the woman in front of them.

"We mean you know harm – if fact, we would ask for your help, if we were more than mildly tethered to this existence."

"I'm sure there are better ways to make a cry for help than kidnapping my daughter!" the Master said, reaching around for in his rucksack for a certain something, "You talk about being tethered to an unknown world…" he held out a vial of what appeared to be bubbling water that he'd kept safely nestled in the deepest recesses of his provisions, "and guess who's been reverse-engineering a one-way key to the greatest unknown world in all the known universes?"

"Huon particles?" Jack said, eyes widening at the liquid.

"Part of my own very _stable_ stash that I've been saving for a rainy day." he pointed up.

A great darkness, a gash in the sky had been opening up during their conversation, and now rain poured down from the heavens, so-to-speak.

The Master manipulated the vial as it glowed with new excitation, then grabbing onto Jack for god knows whatever reason crossed his mind, he left.

**A/N:** I'm evil, aren't I? And I'd said I would provide a Christmas special, probably in a vain hope that things wouldn't get on top of me like last year. I'll try to make the time for a New Years special at least, and hopefully I haven't given you all enough ammo to be mad at me for updating so late. My brain's been riding on annuals, Tintin and chocolate, so I haven't had much time to do anything except a few sparse doodles. I watched 'The Colour of Magic' (a big high five for any fellow Pratchett fans out there) earlier, which somehow spurred me on to finish this chapter. I got it on DVD for Christmas! Now I'm going to be watching a blooper reel of popular TV shows.

I was actually going to try and finish this chapter on Christmas Day (to at least keep some form of promise alive), but my new graphics tablet (which I also got for Christmas) refused and is still refusing to work with my netbook, which had ruined my mood quite a bit. But I'm back up! And my old tablet still works just as good as it can.


	40. Saved

**A/N:** Chapter 40! I'm officially a bit worn out, but still persevering!

**Chapter 40 – Saved**

"What did you do?" Jack asked, beginning to feel sick as they landed on a similar patch of ground, "I _just now_ figured out I love that woman and we may have left her to face her death!"

"Sometime before Amelia was adopted and the weight of parenthood had yet to fall on me, I'd began genetically engineering my own version of Huon particles, making sure to give the molecular structure extra stability and using the very first TARDIS' biological scans of Donna for reference." he pulled them both up, feeling neither sickness from the transport or abject fear, "While unchanging and perfectly balanced, a side-effect of this new batch was being able to travel short distances to get to the TARDIS; I'd soon established this after initiating several testing sessions while the Doctor was asleep."

"Did we just go back the way we came?"

The Master pointed upwards, "The sky is still as dark as it was when we left Donna; I'd say we went east from our route, somehow circling the perimeter of the field zone."

"What about Donna?"

"If we have any chance of saving her, we have to find Amelia and those… _scoundrels_ who kidnapped her."

"Shouldn't we get back to the TARDIS, if those Huons can take us there?" Jack asked, staring at the vial quizzically.

"Why on Earth would I want to do that when we're so close?"

"Your baby boys – they've just been born and we're standing here talking about an old project of yours." Jack shook his head, "Blanking them and the Doctor won't bring your dead daughter back."

"Would it be better if I started blaming myself?" the Master hissed, "Because I've been doing that for a few years already; I can't blame the universe for having one last poke at tearing my hearts into shreds."

"Your daughter–"

"Sarah Jane. I've always had a feeling the Doctor would call her that, if we had a daughter, and I suppose it's quite fitting now."

"You and the Doctor are married by time as well as law, you can't back out of the relationship now. I'll go on with the mission while you go back to the TARDIS."

"They may not know it yet, but my boys are calling to me; even if I had the choice, I still couldn't abandon them."

"Then go back there and give your husband a big smooch from me! He deserves it after all he's had to put up with today." Jack said, slapping a hand on the Master's shoulder before he disappeared

* * *

"How far are we from our desired destination now?"

"Not many more miles, dad." Jenny said, looking down at the boys, "They seem to have slept right through after their first feed."

"Doctor, we've got incoming – something blipping towards us, like it's moving in jumps." Martha exclaimed, triple-checking the scanners.

A white flash in the room signalled a catastrophic arrival, and as the smoke cleared a voice called out, "Doctor, you're alive!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" the Doctor said, finally realizing who had appeared, "And where's Amelia?"

"Jack's going after her, but I have to be with you and our boys."

"No!" the Doctor said, clutching the still-sleeping babies in his arms, "You lost that right when you shouted at me and said our daughter's death was all my fault!"

"I'll make it up to you a million times when this is all over." he said, "Can't I even see them?"

"I wouldn't want you to unload your anger and hatred on them too." the Doctor spat, not relinquishing his hold.

The Master turned to Martha and Jenny, "Can't either of you help me?"

"There's no reasoning with him – and we can't help but agree with him at this point." Jenny sternly worded, arms folded.

"I'm try to redeem myself here. Should I _beg_?"

"That's never been your style." the Doctor said, nearly vacant.

"He's not taking any more of your tripe, and he's _tired_." Martha said, "If you're looking for something to do, go back and look for your daughter."

"The one who's being an arse, the one who's in mortal peril or the one who's already dead? Because right now I'd prefer to see the latter two." the Master snapped, a mad look surfacing in his eye.

* * *

Jack had to think like the Doctor.

Nobody had warned him about escalating weather conditions – such as galeforce winds, resulting in a barrage of crud in the face.

As supposedly the least reliable member of the team, he had not been entrusted with any serious equipment apart from the codes for his currently damaged vortex manipulator.

He had to think on his feet; even a big-ass crater like this had to have crevices that he could sneak into to shelter himself from the storm.

He also had to keep as far away from Donna as humanly possible; not an easy feat, especially when he now had feelings for her. Maybe in time, the supposed 'ghost' would leave her in search of a new body to manipulate. Better him than her.

He could see a sloping gap in the ground ahead, big enough for him to fit into until the storm ended. All his years of training in various jobs flew out the window, but only basic instinct would keep him alive – minus his immortality.

He took something out of his pack, and recognized it to be a sandwich hastily wrapped in tinfoil. Could Martha have done this? She was always mothering him, though probably expecting that he'd become mortal and keel over any minute.

He pulled his jacket around him, realizing how cold it was. Since when was it cold?

His vortex manipulator was still broken as he looked down, but while he knew he could easily fix it and get a fix on Amelia in record time, he couldn't draw attention to himself.

Though he was now preoccupied with picking off bits of his sandwich sparingly and waiting for the storm to cease, his mind kept wandering to the only subject that could keep him sane.

Was Donna in the same storm, outside or in her mind?"

* * *

"You're can't stop me from seeing my children! It's–" the Master couldn't finish his sentence.

"Inhumane? We realize that."

"What if we lose Amy?" he rounded on the Doctor, "You couldn't leave me, even after that."

The Doctor shook his head and nearly spoke, but no words came out. Remorse flashed in his eyes, but only for a second before they were overrun with tears.

"Jenny, you heartless bitch – I could expect this from Martha, what with the things I've done to her family in the past, but you can't possibly look at us and say my husband and boys don't need me, right _now_."

"It's alright." the Doctor said, "I think… I think maybe he's calmed down."

"Martha Jones, you've seen me when I'm insane; you wouldn't like to see me when I'm angry so LET ME SEE MY FAMILY!"

The Doctor tried to nod reassuringly to Martha and Jenny, "Remember that bond I was telling you about? It's as strong for him as it is for me. Could you give us some time alone?"

They couldn't leave the Doctor with the Master, the latter being in such a frantic state, but both men's eyes shone with worry as they looked down at the two remaining babies.

They left the room, knowing when they were not wanted, the TARDIS locking the door behind them to bar any unwanted visitors.

"They're beautiful – may I?" the Master asked, holding out his arms but suddenly remembering how horribly he had treated the Doctor just a few hours ago.

"You're their father." the Doctor said, smiling and handing him one of the babies.

Holding his child seemed to have a great effect on him, and he burst into tears at the sight of the Doctor holding their other, "I'm so sorry!"

"You're here now." the Doctor said, rubbing the Master's back as he leant over him, for want of something better to do.

"I failed you – no mother deserves what I put you through. I just… for a second I was only driven by rage, and I had to direct it at _something_."

"I can't explain why our daughter died; but we can still enjoy the two babies we do have. We could probably start with naming them.

"I think Jack or Mickey – they've both been so good to us, and you."

"I'd like to worm Alistair in there somewhere – in honour of a very old friend, and I wouldn't want him feeling left out. Jack Mickey Alistair Smith, maybe? I know it seems a bit extravagant to have two middle names, but it seems like the right thing to do."

"He'll hate us."

"Doesn't matter, it suits him perfectly." the red-haired boy (who was henceforth Jack) had already fallen asleep, but the strawberry-blond little bundle in the Master's arms had just woken up.

"Hello, Timothy Eugene." the Master said, looking down at him.

"Timothy Eugene?"

"It has character." he spoke with glee when his son unusually took the proffered hand, "He has his mummy's oral fixation."

"He also has a breast fixation; you can guess who he got that from." the Doctor twiddled his thumbs along the arch of Jack's stubby nose, enjoying the rise and fall of the small mass breathing on his lap.

"You can come in now!" the Master said, after being told by the TARDIS that Martha and Jenny had started putting ears against the door.

The Doctor turned to Jenny as he was handed his other son, "Meet your new brothers; Jack Mickey Alistair and Timothy Eugene Smith." the former had awoken, holding out his arms and not knowing which food provider to pay attention to.

"They're great names." Martha said, laughing.

"Timothy prefers 'Lord over all earthly dominion'." the Doctor grinned, ignoring the startled looks everyone gave him.

"What?"

"I speak baby – according to him, I'm 'soppy milk thing', daddy is 'not mummy' and everyone else is 'peasants'. We've spawned something that has apparently gained dominion over all in only a few hours."

"Takes after his dad." the Master said.

A chill descended on the room, and the Doctor seemed to lose his senses.

"What's wrong, dear?" the Master said, noting that the babies had sensed it first and he snatched the one the Doctor was holding in worry.

The Doctor's voice took on a whole new level of 'strange', and it almost sound like there were multiple people speaking with him, "**A Terraforming Device has been placed on the outskirts of the crater. Find the girl, bring the dead.**" and his upper body lopped into his lap, like some great presence was leaving him. He sat back up, blinked for a moment, and then came to his senses.

"I know that voice." it almost choked him to say this.

"I have a feeling so do I. This thing took over Donna not a few hours ago, but it said it meant no harm – like now, we can assume that by 'find the girl' they mean we'll find Amelia with the terraforming device. They're giving her back to us, but what did they ever gain by stealing her?"

"A cry for help; they have no physical presence, they said through our daughter that they're not 'tethered to this world'. They knew of a universal healer in their universe and sought me in this so I could give them some form of existence."

"They stole her because they're scared; Amelia is their only bargaining chip, and a live-wire to use so we can talk to them. Their own timeline may not even exist now, but is still trying to coexist with our own, and they want to be in one or the other but have no control over how they are."

"You two figured this out in all of five seconds?"

The Doctor grinned, "Honey, we're _brilliant_."

* * *

The storm have finally let up enough for Jack to escape the neat hole he had ducked in, but another presence haunted him profusely.

"I know where Amelia is; they told me, but they've moved her and her parents are going to pick her up."

he jumped up and wrapped his arms around her ecstatically, "You sound like you again!"

Donna pushed him away, perplexed, "Yes, they set me free. I heard them in my head, and saw all theirs… they're terrified."

"They're gonna be when I see 'em!"

"Making them more afraid is only going to make matters worse; to exist, they must sacrifice a Smith, I _saw_ it in one's thoughts. They don't want to do this, so they're hoping to work with the Doctor to find a way, but as it's all his fault they're stuck in limbo they'll make the sacrifice to the stars with Amelia's soul."

"The Doctor's fault? He doesn't even know them."

"He would if he hadn't changed the course of events. We create our own fixed points, but the Doctor created one that couldn't ignore another."

Jack saw the funny-shaped blip on his vortex manipulator's tracker, and just about remembered what it meant, "To the terraforming device?"

Donna (the real, honest-to-goodness Donna, he surmised) held out her hand and smiled, "To the terraforming device."

* * *

It had taken an hour to get to the site of the device, but the foul stench of a disturbance in time hung in the air.

The Doctor surveyed the rock ledge with an apparent cool while holding a cold heap in his shaking arms, "You know the old saying…"

The thing in front of him barely noticed the crack in the rock-face under his feet, "My mum's dead, so it wouldn't have much meaning."

It was a dark creature, the shadows under its' eyes displaying how much energy was depleted by this point, but it (he) appeared human, "_We've been waiting a long time for this day. All of our meagre eternity, to be exact._"

The Master walked forward and took the dead child from the Doctor's arms, clearly displaying it to the being, "We help up our end of our bargain; now give us back our daughter."

A small face appeared behind the man, painted with a small smile nearly hidden by red locks, "_Here's the one we have as Amy._"

"I'm something different to them in their world." she looked directly at the Doctor, "I never became your daughter. I grew up as Amy Pond after you ruined my life."

The young man turned into a young woman before them, and they could help but see a startling resemblance as a clear Scottish voice rang out, undaunted by more disembodied voices, "_You said __**five minutes**_." the woman, despite this, was smiling a kind smile.

The young woman turned into a different man, all the while human and distinctly familiar, "_You always made me second fiddle in your concerto; I was only around to make you feel better about yourself_."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the Doctor pleaded.

The man spoke again, using only his own voice, "_Oh yeah, __**stupid**__ Rory getting the wrong end of the stick again_."

"Rory Williams?" Martha stepped tentatively towards the man, feeling like an idiot.

"_You're not even in my life; __**nobody**__ here is_."

The Doctor stepped further forward, "In your would, we travel, and I'm sorry I put a stop to this but I can't allow you to ruin the life I have now, any of you! How many more are there?"

"_Sky was just a teaser_." the other man, appearing again, mentioned, "_Though what you have seen is all of us. In our world, the cracks you see in this are but warning of a greater battle, and they keep the people they take._" he turned back into the supposedly grown-up version of Rory, "_They took me and changed me, and for 2000 years I was stuck as a Nestene duplicate, hiding from the world after I'd shot and tried to protect my wife_."

"And for 900 years I was controlled by evil and and then saved by the soulmate I've known since childhood. Do you think I could ever give up this life to create yours?" the Master exclaimed, rounding on the Doctor, "Their potential died because mine didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"The day when the time lock was opened, you chose to save my life; I believe that even had we gone our separate ways, you still wouldn't have that stupid bowtie-infested life."

Several voice reverberated around the dusty cavern, but nobody was making the words, "_We can begin again with your exclusion to the process!_"

"That depends." the Master stated, "What's coming for my husband? It's said that something will rise from the deep and strike him down.

"_The Astronaut._"

"Sorry, couldn't hear that with all the overcrowding." the Master held up a hand to his ear in mock annoyance.

"_The Astronaut is death! The ultimate demise of the Doctor, perpetrated by the order of the Silence! The Astronaut is she that you do not see when you want to see, even in this timeline!_" the bowtied man shook his head forgivingly, "_In mine, __**I**__ am the one she thwarts! __**I**__ am the Doctor_."

"Does this she go by the name 'River Song'?" the Doctor said, squinting fearful at the sight of another solid being behind the slightly fazing chronological ghost.

River walked out from behind the hologram, smiling so sadly, "That girl's mum called her Melody. _My_ mum called me Sarah Jane 'Melody' Smith, but my big sister called me Melody Pond."

"Your sister was Amelia Pond. Sarah Jane?" the Doctor asked, fighting back confused tears.

She nodded, doing the same, "Hi, mum."

The Master shook his head in disdain, "How is this possible."

"The terraforming device has been operational since before any of us came here, and it's been running on silent all this time." she took the transparent glowing orb into her hands, and held it high above everyone's heads, "Say hello to your child's salvation!"

An ear-splitting crack resounded as it made impact with the floor, colourful tendrils already making their way through the planet's atmosphere.

A baby's cry was heard above intense noise around them, as the marauder(s) did its best to keep away from it.

Amelia collapsed from the loss of its' control, and it was barely noticed when she inhaled the life-giving fumes herself.

"I was brought up to believe in a higher purpose – and to bring about the recreation of our homeworld; What you see right now is already changing into what you'll name _New Gallifrey_."

"You're a prophecy!" the Doctor gazed back at the Master, "_Our daughter_ is a prophecy! How could we let this happen!"

"You'll see me again." and with that, River fiddled with her vortex manipulator and disappeared just as the ghost did.

The baby in the Master's arms was still crying, but he'd lost all the feeling in his arms.

"Dad…?" Amelia said, sitting up with her elbows, "What happened?"

the Doctor felt the movement returning to his frozen legs and ran up to her, pulling her into a fierce hug, "All the bad people went away, sweetie… we don't have to worry about them anymore."

The Master fell onto his knees, silently praising whatever god had done them a favour and rocking the quieting baby girl in his grasp.

Martha Jones and Jenny Smith looked on for a moment, before the latter grabbed the former and yelled gleefully, "I have a baby sister!"

**A/N:** Wow… can you believe this may seem like the end? Because it totally isn't, and I shall write a very nice epilogue that may be split into two awesome parts. I said I'd finish this for a Christmas epilogue, then New Years, and now I'm not too sure when the actual epilogue will appear but it may arrive in late January or early February.

Sorry for leaving you hanging, and thanks for all the lovely reviews! You people are really what kept me striving when I fell ill, had netbook trouble or got squashed by that dreadful writers block. This chapter comes to over 3000 words and 18000 characters in OpenOffice and I was pretty much running on autopilot. I can't believe it's nearly over! And though it may be 10 chapters away from OoD's record 50, it's a huge achievement for me and I wouldn't have missed the opportunity for the world.

Timothy Eugene was the name given by a one-to-one teacher in school, who I've decided shall remain anonymous (for her own benefit) but who's given me ages of wonderful feedback. I figure we were both subconsciously heading at Timothy Dalton, the actor who portrayed Rassilon in EoT. So much lordy spluttering! He crossed total alienation with manipulation and made it a beautiful lesson to amateurs everywhere.

Did everyone have a good new year? It was a VERY good night on telly for me, and I spent New Years Day building my LEGO Hagrid's Hut for four straight hours :D


	41. Epilogue: Part One

**A/N:** And with a heavy heart and a sorrowful gaze, the curtain draws flaggingly to a close… such is a fanfic's long-winded reign. I'd always known it would end early in its 40s, but part of me was obviously stalling _and_ trying to build the story up at the same time. It's become more of a project than a hobby, and I've become startled at how focused I've been on making it work.

I feel I'll leave this epilogue quite open-ended, but only I can possibly know how it will truly carry on.

I'm posting this a bit earlier than I would have expected, maybe because I want to keep you all happy before I take a big dump on your dreams… the whole 'New Gallifrey' thing _will_ become a more developed part of the story, though maybe in part two of this epilogue.

**Chapter 41 – Epilogue: Part One (Yay!)**

"Where did we park the TARDIS? Everything looks the same." the Master felt like they'd been walking around the same rock formation for what seemed like hours.

"Guys!" Jack ran up to them with a dispossessed Donna in tow, "The planet's changing! And you got Amelia back…!"

The Doctor nodded, "An old friend made things better."

Jack stepped closer to the Master and whispered, "Is he going to be cryptic like this all day?"

The Master motioned to the healthy baby girl in arms, "This is Sarah Jane."

The captain's face lit up at the sight, "She's so cute!"

"Shouldn't I be saying that?" Donna griped, unable to disagree.

"You wear the trousers in this relationship, sweetie; you tell me." he waggled his eyebrows at her as the baby giggled.

"Yes, you _shouldn't_ let him buy you a drink." the Doctor joked, looking down at her.

"He speaks baby." the Master answered their silent query.

The Doctor conceded to defeat, "You haven't seen the TARDIS anywhere near here, have you?"

* * *

While everyone was going about getting themselves tidied up (though she was sure the Doctor and Master were doing the complete opposite), she felt a small hand pull at her trouser leg.

"Auntie Martha, I feel funny." Amelia pouted up at her, suddenly looking worse for wear.

"Let's see what's wrong with you, eh?" she helped her onto the examination table, starting first with a stethoscope.

Her own heart nearly stopped at the sound of a dual rhythm.

She ran as fast as she could into the Master and Doctor's bedroom, running into the en suite and flinging the razor from the Doctor's hand,

She panted against the sink as she exclaimed, "Amelia is a _Time Lady_!"

"How can that be?" the Master walked into the room.

"That planet was terraformed to be a new Gallifrey, maybe the device was also set to make a new Gallifreyan? We can talk through thoughts and regenerate, and they're things Amelia has never been able to share with us on a human level. Maybe we've been given a gift? She's as much ours as the human races'." the Doctor gained a cheesy grin to match what the Master would later call cheesy talk.

"She's ours indefinitely; they can't have her back now she's one of us." the Master wrapped an arm around the Doctor's waist, "Should we tell her?"

"I imagine she'll have figured it out by now; she's our bright little girl." the Doctor pressed their noses together for a second, smiling. They turned to an "Ahem!",

"Should I give you two a little time?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "We're in a _time machine_ – we have all the time in the world."

"Doctor." the Master pulled him by the chin back to face him, "We still have to make it through our first Christmas as a family unscathed."

The Doctor's jaw dropped, and he ruffled the Master's outgrown hair, "Don't try to give me a hearts attack just yet dear, I've only just given birth."

* * *

"To the left!" Gita yelled upwards.

"Can't you just get a bloody balancer from the toolbox?"

"Harresh, shut up! The new mother's finally back."

While her husband rolled his eyes at his wife's seldom-disused gossip radar, Gita Chandra stalked over the road to see the TARDIS parked in their front garden.

"Good work, old girl." she patted the blue box, whose rooftop light flashed briefly in pride as she saw the new parents tiptoeing into the house.

"Ooh, what are they like? I could lend you some of Rani's old baby clothes for your little girl, and if you need any help you know where I am!"

The Doctor cringed, but the Master smiled at his friend, "Thanks Gita, but I think we're just happy to be home for now."

"Say no more!" she held up her hands gleefully, "I'll get out of your hair and leave you and mummy to it!"

"You form the strangest relationships with people." the Doctor muttered, being walked into the house begrudgingly.

"You still love me." he pulled the door closed, "How long will it be before Martha's finished examining everyone?"

"A few hours yet," some came to him suddenly and he slapped his forehead at his own stupidity, "Oh, I forgot! She's pregnant, isn't she?"

"She is?" the Master's eyebrows were firmly raised, "Mickey the idiot actually reproduced?"

"I know it's unbelievable, but in nine months we're going to have a little non-biological niece or nephew."

"We'll be overrun with kids if we're asked to babysit." the Master rubbed his eyes, nearly worn out with the events of the day.

"But won't it be amazing?"

"I think Gita was out there ordering Harresh to outshine the sun with all those lights; should we do anything for Christmas? Amelia doesn't mind as long as she gets presents and the babies won't know the difference."

The Doctor looked downhearted, "Can we do the whole Christmas thing? I know it's not going on holiday as much as staying home and causing a health and safety riot, but I think a holiday is just what we need – and I wouldn't want the babies to miss out on their first Christmas, regardless of their understanding of it all."

"And _you_ deserve a rest." the Master coiled himself around the Doctor, sitting them on the sofa, "How do you think I'll feel, knowing you're looking after our family _and_ providing us with all things extravagantly in the spirit of Christmas? I can't have the man I love working 'til all hours on his maternity leave."

The Doctor's grin turned beaming, "I'm glad you say so, because I was hoping you'd do most of the work."

"I know nothing about Earth holidays!" the Master exclaimed.

"Then consider this a great opportunity to learn." the Doctor looked around the living room, his eyes sparkling mischievously, "The first thing we'll need in here is decorations… ooh, and maybe a few things for the front garden! And we should really stick with a average-sized false tree for now, probably until the babies are at that age when they start fiddling with everything in sight…"

"You've thought this through allot, haven't you?"

"…Only in every spare second since October. This is really the first Christmas I'll be spending as part of a proper family."

"It's good that you're so happy; it gives me a good opportunity to tell you that Jack's extended your maternity leave until March." he closed his eyes, waiting for a thunderous reaction.

"March! What am I supposed to do until then?"

"Maybe enjoy it? What little time we lose with all three triplets when you go back to work is much easier than how much time we'll lose with each other if we don't take a few months to settle into a baby-centric routine."

"You can't expect me to sit by while you rule my life for the next three months?"

"I expect you to become used to being a mother." he rubbed his forehead despairingly, "This is no walk in the park for me either; you've been a parent before but for the first time I'm a dad to infants and I'm 'dadding' blind."

The Doctor's expression softened, "You're right, I was being silly. And I've been running on nothing but hormones for the past few days, so maybe it's best if we get some sleep whilst Martha is keeping everyone busy.

The Master laid on his side against the seat cushions, pulling the Doctor down to lay against him, "When you're right, you're right."

Martha and Jack walked in the house later to find them snuggled up against one another on the sofa as if nothing had happened, and went upstairs to find a lilac-painted room already already equipped with toys and a baby-changing unit, while cots lay on their sides in near-pristine cardboard boxes.

Jack read something out from the packaging, "_Colour changing cot; changes colour depending on the babies' gender or preferences_. Man, is there anything they haven't prepared for? And I bet they didn't even realize they could be having a girl."

"Right, I suggest we get these cots set up pronto. And you know Time Lords; they're prepared for any eventuality."

Jack opened the first box and assessed the assembly instructions, "You've gotta be kidding me!"

"What is it?"

Jack held up the booklet at the first page, "The instructions are in Gallifreyan!"

"Lemme see that." she grabbed the booklet and flipped through, giving it back to Jack afterwards, "The one language the TARDIS doesn't translate."

"How did they even get furniture with a Gallifreyan manual?"

"The TARDIS probably made these for them."

"She doesn't have to build 'em." he surveyed what they had to work with, trying to remember the little Gallifreyan the Doctor had taught him – then he remembered the most he had become fluent in was proclaiming himself indecent (something which had already come in handy) and asking where the toilets were.

"We'll just have to set them up blind; I helped Leo set up a cot ages ago, it's pretty easy."

~5 MINUTES LATER~

"Oh, you two are doing it all wrong!"

Jack and Martha looked up from their slightly boatish cot to see a slightly bemused Amelia.

"I'm a Time Lady now, remember? I can read Gallifreyan easy."

"Then would you mind translating for us?" Jack handed her the instructions as she knelt down beside them.

Amelia rolled her eyes at them, "It's _so_ simple; they build themselves!"

"So we've been faffing about with all this for no reason?" Martha squeaked.

"Pretty much." Amelia found a small pad on the cot's underside and pressed a few buttons, watching as the cot dismantled and rebuilt itself in the correct order.

The remaining two cots were built in seconds, and the bedding was flung at them as they appraised their work.

"Sentient cupboard, really?" Jack removed the blanket from his face, leaving the girls to do the rest of the work.

* * *

"I haven't slept that good since… I'm not too sure when."

"See? Isn't it nice not to have to save the universe for once?"

"Okay, I get it, I'll try to relax more."

"You can start by letting me make you something to eat."

The Doctor looked appalled, "You can't cook for toffee!"

"I'm sure I don't need a degree in nuclear cuisine to make a sandwich."

He left the sofa in search of food, and found bananas in the fridge (amongst other things) and the bread in a corner of the countertop, as well as peanut-butter in the cupboard, "Banana and peanut-butter sandwich it is – it seems like one of the only things you've been able to keep down."

The Doctor smiled at the sight, "Was this sort of thing all you did while I was still working?"

"Getting Amelia up and to school after you've gone to work, doing the shopping, busying myself with books and TV in the TARDIS, performing a little maintenance on the TARDIS that _you_ have on your to-do list, picking Amelia up and starting tea if you had to work late; it's all pretty much easy."

The Doctor smirked, "You've become one of those house-husbands who stays home with the kids while the woman in the relationship goes to work."

"You're the woman." the Master chuckled.

"I'm the woman who can cut bedroom privileges any time he likes." the Doctor stated.

"I'll…" the Master pointed over his back to the staircase, "…just see how the nursery's going while Jack hasn't blown it up yet."

The Doctor snickered, chomping down on the last of his sandwich.

**A/N: **Part Two of this unusual epilogue will be Christmas Day, New Years and [if I can manage it] Valentines Day. The bit set in Valentines Day holds another special surprise for people who intricately followed the events of Chapter 40's finale!

Diligent reviewers will get free [insert favourite sugary snack here]!


	42. Epilogue: Part Two

**A/N:** Hopefully a sparkling ending, with a sparking surprise! Now we enter their Christmas Day, New Years and maybe Valentines day – the second chapter of this fic was specially Valentines Day themed and posted on said day, so I guess I really want to see how things have changed in a year. Fun!

**Chapter 42 – Epilogue, Part 2: Doorbell**

"It's Christmas!" Amelia ran into the room and leapt onto the bed, bouncing around in excitement.

"Amelia!" the Master sat up and glared at her, putting a finger to his lips, "Your mummy and I have been up all night with the triplets, so can you start breakfast without us?"

She pouted, but ran downstairs nonetheless.

"How can she sleep so soundly? The boys have been wailing the house down." the Doctor said, muffled by the pillow he held against his ears.

"She's running on Christmas power, isn't she? Not to mention all the sweets she's squeezed out of us."

"I fail to believe she only ate sweets; I remember having to restock the special biscuit tin several times."

It was the morning of Christmas Day, and Sarah Jane Smith had slept fitfully through the night while Jack and Timothy had been a resounding success at keeping both their parents awake. Jenny and Donna were staying over in the spare room until the new year, and Jack, Martha, Mickey and Rory were making their individual ways from London to spend a few days is warmer company.

The Master got up to shave while the Doctor snuggled back under the duvet to enjoy what little was left of his morning.

Amelia ran back in the room holding a blocky phone in one hand and a spoon in the other, "Jenny has a boyfriend!"

"What?" the Doctor sat up, white as a sheet.

"He's in her phone contacts – she typed him up as 'BFmatt', and they've been sending mushy texts to each other." Amelia grimaced.

"She never said anything." the Doctor stared blankly at the pixelated words as she held it up to them.

"With her family history, who could blame her? And if he's in her phone he's probably a normal 21st century human." she paused, "Do you think they could be _emailing_ too?"

"No daughter of mine will be emailing a stupid boy!" the Doctor snapped, getting up from the bed in haste.

"He's in his late 20s." Amelia said, rolling her eyes at their perplexed looks, "It says they're a couple on facebook, so I was able to check his suitability; I don't think we have anything to worry about." she smiled jokingly, leaving the room.

The Doctor laid back on the bed, taking a deep breath, "…I can't handle another addition to the family at the moment."

"You always said you wanted her to be well looked after." the Master said, spitting in the sink after brushing and the sound of running water could be heard.

"But with a _human_? I think I might have preferred it if she eloped with a Judoon or any other manner of my enemies." the Doctor scratched his stubbly face, silently wishing for 'accio' powers so he could get breakfast to magically appear before him.

He got up and walked into the nursery adjoining their room, and grinned at the sound of his children awakening. He looked down into the pink cot nearest in his path, kissing his daughter on the head, "Merry Christmas, my little miracle."

the Master walked into the room, towelling a damp head of hair, "What day is your first post-natal checkup, dear?"

"The 31st, wasn't Amelia hoping to stay up late with us?"

"Yeah… there's also a mandatory home visit on that day, to assess how Amelia's being looked after." he handed the Doctor the letter, feeling like he were handing over a death warrant.

"She's been so excited about sharing the changing of the year with us; they can't possibly expect us to give up our plans on such a big time-related holiday?" he opened the three-folded page, seeing the clear Arial (or possibly Verdana) font printed out menacingly, and he began to read it out in soft melodic Gallifreyan,

_Dear legal guardians of Miss Amelia Pond,_

_It has come to our attention that regulation of your adoption has been poorly undertaken, and with the news of new additions it is our job to fully assess if a stable home environment has been compromised,_

_Our scheduled home visit will be on 31st of December, between 1 – 3pm._

"Did Jack authorize this? He's seen us all this time, he's surely been explaining our situation." the Master said, feeling his blood boil at the thought.

"Maybe he hasn't been reporting back as much as we'd thought." the Doctor squeaked.

"I'd like to show him my appreciation of his efforts." the Master said, his knuckles going white as he rolled up his sleeves.

"Koschei, don't! It's Christmas Day, let's just be civil while we can, then you can blast his proverbial brains out on Boxing Day." the Doctor knew he was digging himself a deeper hole, but tried his best to find a compromise, "If you go mouthing off now, who knows what could happen. And you said I wouldn't get any unnecessary stress, not today."

The Master sighed, "You're right. Let's just enjoy our Christmas, together as a family."

* * *

"If it's any consolation, I've heard and even I can't believe it." Martha said, removing her coat.

"Who'd rat out their own friends like that? It doesn't seem like Jack." Mickey agreed, hanging their coats on the rack.

"Let's not talk about it, shall we? The Doctor's worried enough as it is." the Master said as Rory ran eagerly into the living room.

They walked into the dining room to see it lavishly decorated up to the ceiling, with the long table already set for their arrival.

"Hullo, everyone!" the Doctor trilled from inside the kitchen, "Dinner will be ready at seven, just go into the front room for now."

"I thought you said he wasn't cooking?"

"_He_ isn't." the Master waved them off and strolled into the kitchen, nearly laughing at the sight that confronted him.

"He said he wanted to watch our work and he's already eaten half of it." Jenny said, rescuing more food from the Doctor's hands.

"Nobody told me there'd be cravings _after_ pregnancy." the Doctor said, slightly muffled by chewing.

"I'm pretty sure you're unique in this respect." the Master said, "Now stop depleting our stores and keep up moral, do some mothering."

"You know how to make a bloke feel loved." he leaned against the counter to face Jenny, "So, when were you going to tell us about this new boyfriend of yours?"

Donna grinned, "Our little Jen has a _boyfriend_!"

"Did you know about this?" the Doctor asked.

"Compared to you two, I'm a bloody nun." she laughed, "It's not my fault your life is considered too weird for us normal human beings to deal with."

"We're not weird, are we?"

The Master scratched his head, "You have been known to eat anything within a five mile radius when your stomach starts rumbling, dear."

"Well I'm sorry, but…" the Doctor said, trying desperately to find something embarrassing, "…you always have to absorb all the warmth in bed!"

"Excuse me? You're always the one hogging the blankets!"

"I'm still getting used to the weight loss!"

Jack walked into the room, and the atmosphere spiked, "Here's your own Father Christmas right here! …am I missing something?"

"Sorry uncle Jack, they're just having a married argument." Jenny said, the first to compose herself, "Martha and Mickey are already in the front room with Amelia, so if you'd like to go through…"

Jack held his hands up in retreat, "Read ya loud and clear."

She turned to both of them once Jack had disappeared, "Do you two really want to go through all this now? And just because you're my parents doesn't mean you have to know about every little part of my life."

"That's exactly what it means, now when are we going to meet the lad?" the Doctor folded his arms, giving her his 'this-is-not-going-away' face.

"Soon, if you're on your _best_ behaviour." she pointed a wooden spoon at them both, ushering them back into the dining room.

"So having him as a guest for Christmas dinner is out of the question?"

Jenny sighed, "He doesn't… he doesn't know _who you are_, I've just let him assume I'm human, and every time I try to tell him I think he might leave me."

Donna snorted, "I'm sorry, but you're thinking how _I_ used to think. Take me and Jack; he loves me despite the fact that I could die any minute and he'd be left on his own, but we can still enjoy what we have together. If this bloke loves you as much as you think he does, he won't be so quick to do a runner, even if you tell him you're a grotesque sixty-foot alien tree – though I wouldn't recommend _that_ kind of confession."

"It's much worse than that. Dad, remember all those times I came to watch you work?" a blush rose in her cheeks, and she near–muttered, "…_He_ works at Torchwood One. I haven't told him you're my family, but I'll know he'll freak out and think he'll be obliterated for dating the boss's daughter."

"I'm not that bad to work for! He could have just told me."

"You've gained a bit of a reputation as this 'all-powerful Time Lord', and that kinda thing scares people." Donna said, carrying on with the cooking.

The doorbell rang, and Amelia ran to get it – "Now what would a little lady like you be doing answering the door? That's a hassle for grown-ups."

Amelia grinned, "Hi Wilf, auntie Donna's in the kitchen."

Wilf smiled, "I hope you haven't been running your parents too ragged; goodness knows what they've done to give you a good Christmas."

"Mum had a _whole pile_ of Christmas stuff in the TARDIS, it took them an entire day to get it all untangled!" she waved her arms about in indication, "And then Jenny had to go lie down, but mum and dad didn't see that."

"They didn't?" Wilf asked, intrigued. Jenny was ill?

"And she's been sick allot too, but we think it's just flu and it seems to be passing."

Wilf walked into the living room and cheerily greeted its' occupants, "Have you two heard about Jenny being sick?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes angrily, "She's gone too far this time! Now my own daughter won't even tell me she's ill."

"Excuse me?" Wilf asked, watching the Doctor stomp off into the kitchen, and he sat down in the Doctor's place. He turned to the Master, "What's up with him?"

"Jenny's got a boyfriend and she didn't even think to tell us." the Master sat back and sighed, "Sometimes I think she's asking not to be a part of this family."

"You've got Amelia and the new triplets, she's gonna feel a little left out; you just gotta make her feel like she's not the only person in her world." he chuckled reminiscently, "I remember when Donna got her first boyfriend, a lad from round the shops; Geoff went ballistic."

"I'm guessing she wasn't the most sensible child." the Master said, smirking at the thought of a young Donna.

"Were any of us? With your Jenny, you've just gotta be on her side, not be too strange and she'll be a good girl."

Amelia ran back into the room, sitting on the floor with Rory.

Wilf pointed to her and whispered, "Bet she's already interested in boys."

"Worse; she can't fight them off."

* * *

"I think we're done – with half an hour to spare." Jenny said, wiping down her hands on her apron.

The Doctor had been ordered to calm down a while ago, and was now sitting on a kitchen chair, pouting, "I'm your father, you may think you're grown up but you'll always be my little girl, with an apparent sickliness."

"I'm fine dad, please, so could you just go and tell everyone dinner's ready?"

The Doctor huffed back into the living room and sat on the other side of the Master, "Dinner's ready."

Everyone (including the sulky Doctor) walked into the dining room and took their seats, the Doctor's mood instantly lightening at the sight of food, "_This_ is what I've been waiting for all year…"

"That's what you say _every_ Sunday." the Master rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but this time I mean it!"

* * *

Everyone had been so happy [if a bit full] after Christmas that the Doctor and the Master had completely forgotten to talk to Jack until New Years Eve.

"Did I rat you out? How could you even ask such a question!" Jack's beaming smile had quickly turned into a scowl of mild disgust.

"Everything that happened on New Gallifrey must not have been explained properly, or else some UNIT officials wouldn't be making a home visit."

"Well this is the first I've heard of it!" Jack spoke with honest disbelief, "And I explained everything clearly to them after we got back, they wouldn't send someone over for no reason."

The doorbell rang ominously, signalling the person's arrival.

The Master ushered the Doctor and Jack out into the kitchen and ran back to the door, opening it hastily, "Hello, you must be…?"

The slightly portly woman closed the lid on her fobwatch without even looking at it, "Late, it would seem." her voice was more like a coherent growl; clearly this woman had rarely worked with children, though even as she handed him her coat he could sense that an entire invasion wouldn't topple her.

"I take my with milk and no sugar, and I expect the _entire_ family to be present and accounted for."

"You're not a mother, are you?" he gained a blank stare and grinned, "Figured as much. And it may be a problem to have everyone here, but I'm sure I can rally them up. What would you mean by the _entire_ family?"

"Figures as stated; Grandparents, both parents, siblings, aunts and uncles. _Everyone_ is needed to assess to implications to Amelia's life, Mr Smith, and I'll also need to check all modes of transport, including your spaceship."

"TARDIS, and – come this way." he led her into the living room and looked on worriedly as she sat down and began to take mental notes.

He ran back into the kitchen and blurted out, "She's our worst nightmare! I bet she won't be happy until Amelia's stuck with some stuffy humans and we're carted off for autopsy!"

Jack became serious, "We can't let that happen!"

"Worse, she wants to interview everyone! Us, Donna, Martha – probably even Wilf and Mr Smith! And she'll go mad once she finds out the TARDIS doesn't have a licensed owner."

The Doctor slid down to the floor, sitting with his face in his hands, "What shall we do now?"

"We'll just have to give her what she wants and hope there's a big heart under all that padding." He pulled them along into the living room, pointing to both of them, "My husband, the Doctor, and our friend Jack – 'Uncle' Jack."

"Though just 'Captain' to the ladies." Jack held out his hand to her and the Master instantly pulled it back again.

"Alright, captain, I'll need to interview the parents first." was the woman's tight-lipped response.

* * *

"Your full name? Your Earth name will do."

"Dr John David Smith."

"Age?"

"908."

"Professions."

"Doctor, a veteran of the Time War, and I worked full-time for UNIT a few decades ago but now I'm the head of Torchwood One."

The woman scribbled something down onto her notepad, but the Doctor didn't dare take a peak at the words she'd written, "Planet of homestead and origin?"

"Born and bred on the now non-existent Gallifrey, been living permanently on Earth for a year or so, and am now hoping to help along New Gallifrey's planetary development." he sighed exasperatedly, "Look, when are we going to get onto the real reason you're here and talk about Amelia."

"In due time; now please clarify your species."

"Gallifreyan, Time Lord – Prydronian Chapter." he put his head in his hands, breathing in and craning his head back up, "I'm just going to guess as you next questions and try my best to answer them; Yes, I have many differences from a human including two hearts and the ability to regenerate. Yes, I love my husband. Yes, I'm afronted to violence unless in times when it's needed most, and yes, I'm a lethal weapon in the wrong hands."

The woman screwed her face together, "That's be all for now, Mr Smith; I'll inform you if you're needed again, and could you send in your husband?"

* * *

She ran through the same checks with the Master, and asked one final question, "One more thing – are you the dominant male?"

"What?" the Master squeaked.

"It's a simple question, Mr Smith."

"I suppose you didn't ask my husband this."

"He didn't seem like the type." she said, and there might have been a hint of humour in her voice.

"There are really no dominants in our relationship, but I guess I've been the dominant for the past ten months and we're so used to it…"

"So you could say you're the dominant; there is no beating about the bush in this job."

"I've always been the dominant." the Master said reminiscently, nodding. Even from childhood, he had gained a hold over the Doctor – one that allot of people had described as sexual, but at the time he hadn't thought to question it.

* * *

"Hiya, sweetcheeks; for future reference, the name's Captain Jack Harkness." he held out his hand to her, trying desperately to flash her his best grin.

"That's the first question covered, now the second; sexual orientation?"

Jack blinked for a moment, taking this in, "I don't know what this has to do with Amelia, but okay… I'm kinda into all kinds, but right now I'm in a stable heterosexual relationship – with Donna!" he pointed up to the woman who had just walked into the room.

She put her hands on her hips, frowning, "What have you dropped me in now?" she turned to the other woman and her demeanour instantly became bright again, "Sorry, I'm Donna Noble, Amelia's foremost auntie – what's your name? They didn't really tell me."

The woman didn't take the proffered hand, "You've come at an opportune moment, Miss Noble; I was hoping to interview you two together."

"Oh, you'd be at dead ends everywhere you turn, we only got together a few weeks ago."

"That is none of my concern; would you say Amelia is happy with your presences in her life?"

"Yeah, completely, though he's probably a bad influence." Donna said, thumbing in the Jack's direction.

"Me? I'm the most sensible person at work, while _you're_ always gossiping with the Doctor and Martha."

"Maybe dual interviews was a bad idea." the woman said, quickly ticking some things off on a clipboard neither had noticed her arrive with.

* * *

"I think we've gathered all the information we need at the moment. We'll report back to you as soon as we evaluate our research."

Jack closed the door as she left, "That was one weird lady."

"Yeah, and did you notice that green notepad she had with her? Held onto it like a religious symbol." the Master said, able to stop wringing his hands together.

"We remember she had a green _clipboard_ with her." Donna said suspiciously.

"You're all right and you're all wrong." all heads turned to the Doctor, who in turn was looking the least flabbergasted, "All your accounts of your time with her are wrong because she didn't bring anything with her; not even case files or a handbag. The things you individually saw in her hands were an illusion they created. She was a hologram, pre-programmed and sent by UNIT to be the perfect model of civility and unscrupulousness, the only person who could possibly take on such a big task. She always said 'we' when not interviewing any of us, instead of bringing attention to herself, and she never gave us her name because she wasn't programmed with one."

"But… I nearly shook her hand!" the Master said, looking down at his right hand in amazement.

"You would have uncovered her secret." the Doctor nodded, "Let's just hope that next time they send a real person; I didn't feel at all safe with an _image_ reviewing my parenting."

* * *

"How did the visit go?" Amelia trundled into the house after a day of school, hauling her bag down onto the floor.

"Perfectly fine; they'll get back to us." the Master said, sharing a knowing look with the Doctor that Amelia thankfully missed.

"I've been thinking. If we're going to meet Jenny's boyfriend sooner rather than later, we should think about doing it so she can't back out of it." she said, taking some papers out of her bag, "Maybe a new years party? We could make it mandatory to bring a date."

"How about we do a Valentines Day party instead?" the Doctor said, "It's too early after Christmas to hold a big party now, and Valentines Day _is_ the holiday for couples."

"It's the day we made up and agreed to adopt." the Master agreed, pulling the Doctor in his arms, "And we adopted a lovely little girl who became our daughter."

"Lovely? Is that all?"

"Okay; you're our perfect little redhead, every bit as smart as us put together."

"That's better."

They heard a warbling coming from the Doctor's trouser pocket, and removed a baby monitor from its' hold, "Kids are awake." the Doctor said, grabbing the bottle warmer and proceeding up the stairs.

He felt an arm around his leg and looked down to see Amelia, "Can I feed 'em?"

"Only if you think you're up for it."

"I can do it! They showed us how in school."

The Master watched them walk up the stairs and smiled, walking back to close the door and whistling an old Earth tune as he went.

**A/N:** I can't say this is the end… because I got part of the _real_ ending typed up in a moment of productive inspiration! And I couldn't be happier. Next, Valentines Day! Which I was stupid to think I could manage to do with everything that's already gone on in this chapter.

I'm putting this up a little earlier than expected – I've nearly done the next/last chapter (I can admit wholeheartedly that it is the last!) but I even though I think I'll finish it really soon, I'd prefer to get it up on the 10th at the latest – on that day, this fic has it's one year anniversary here on this lovely website, so remember to break out the cake and party balloons while I'm trying my best to come to terms with the ending!


	43. Epilogue: Part Three

**A/N:** Hullo! I went mad and decided that Valentines deserved its own chapter… possibly because the last chapter came to six pages in OpenOffice. This one will probably be a bit shorter, but mostly at my regular limit at 4 pages in OpenOffice.

Goddammit… the website wasn't working yesterday so I couldn't put this up on the story's anniversary. I was totally expecting it to work this morning, such is the website's ape-shit schedule, but I'm still seriously pissed off. Again, fanfiction, really? It's almost like you don't want me to be happy.

**Chapter 43 – Epilogue, Part Three: Bowties and Surprises**

"How did you both put up with mum's morning sickness?" Amelia asked, munching on her toast.

The Master smirked, "Don't talk with your mouth full. Oh, and when your mother was ready to kill me I made up a song about it."

"What was it?" the little girl said, on the edge of her seat as she put her breakfast down hurriedly.

"It's to the tune of '_Whistle while you work_'." the Master coughed and began, "'_Bristle while you hurk – When they ask, you'll only answer: Because your dad's a bloody turk!_'; I would have created a second verse, but he threatened to vomit on _me_ next."

"Yeah, can't think why he wouldn't enjoy that." Amelia said, rolling her eyes.

"Are you singing the morning sickness song again?" the Doctor said, coming into the room laden with baby.

"I was thinking of handing it over to Mickey – to keep it as some sort of tradition."

"I think Martha would thank you if you didn't." the Doctor said, little knowing the Master had texted it to Mickey (and Jack, it's bound to happen) that very morning.

"It's Valentines Day and you two haven't kissed yet!" Amelia exclaimed, eyes narrowing at both of them, "What's up?"

"We were hoping to have a little time to ourselves before you and the babies woke up." the Doctor answered, his eyes lighting up in amusement.

"Sorry for asking." Amelia cringed, pushing her food away completely.

* * *

The Master grinned into the mirror, straightening his tie.

"You're going about it all wrong!" the Doctor said, fixing it completely as well as his own, "We'll never make a good impression if you're still fiddling with your clothes by dinnertime!"

"Isn't he supposed to be making a good impression on us?"

"Jenny trusts us enough to let us meet the man she loves; you'll be on your best behaviour."

"Amelia told me he's always asking to meet us, like the boy has something to say."

"He'll be as worried as we are." he stood back and diagnosed them presentable as they heard the door open, "Now don't you embarrass me in front of anyone, today of all days."

"Dad…" Jenny stepped tentatively through the door, her hand pulling a tweed-covered arm, "This is Matt; my boyfriend."

His ebony-brown hair stood out against his pale complexion, contrast again making its presence at the advent of a bright red bowtie. His tweed jacket fanned out against a blue flannel shirt and a pair of red suspenders, and dark jeans were tucked into mucky brown lace-up boots, and beady green-grey eyes sparkled with a strange sort of confidence, "Are we early?"

Both the Doctor and the Master were stunned speechless. After a few minutes, the Doctor came to his senses first, "You'll have to excuse us; we have to check on our younger daughter."

Matt turned to Jenny, looking despondent, "Was it something you said?"

* * *

"He looks just like–"

"I know!"

"Surely we can't allow this?"

The Doctor leant against the wall, rubbing his eyes, "He may be identical to that alternate version of me, but he's the version of that person as part of this timeline – hell, he might not even be a Doctor; Jenny said he works at Torchwood One."

"He's Martha's right hand man."

Both men rolled their eyes at Amelia, who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, "Can't you stop being a know-it-all?"

"Maybe you should learn to set up parental controls on my computer." she walked back into the kitchen, probably hoping to find something good to spoil her appetite with.

They walked back into the living room, and the Doctor clapped his hands together, "Ready for dinner?"

Everyone became seated around the long table, and Jenny [with her hand still clasped firmly into Matt's] was the first to talk, "We have something to tell you both." They shared a nervous look, as did the Doctor and the Master.

"We've talked about it… and we're getting married."

The Doctor laughed, "Thank god! I though you were going to make me a granddad for a moment there."

"Actually, dad, there's more." she placed her free hand on her abdomen and smiled at them with Matt, "You're going to be a granddad very soon too."

"You're going to have a baby!" the Doctor and Amelia said this, shellshocked.

The Master was already eating, then turning to the Doctor he said, "Always knew the high fertility rates came from your side of the family."

* * *

"I want to give you something – call it an early wedding present."

"Oh, dad… it's beautiful." Jenny gasped, taking the plant into her hands.

"It's a chunk of TARDIS coral I've been saving for a rainy day, though I thought it should be put to good use now that it's absorbed enough artron energy to grow by itself." he grinned at her sitting with the pot holding an opalescent coral structure, and tapped his nose, smiling, "I have an inkling that Matt of yours will know what to do."

"I suppose this is something only between a father and his daughter?"

"Quite the contrary; It's true of most Gallifreyan families that the eldest child inherits the ability to travel through time, and I'd only want you to have this privilege. Of course, I'll teach Amelia and the triplets when they're older, but they won't have what I'm giving you now." he stroked the coral reverently, smiling, "And in a few years, it will grow into a fully grown TARDIS – though you'll probably have to check on the chameleon circuit every year or so if you don't want yours ending up like mine."

"I don't think I'd mind." Jenny said, smiling back.

"Hi love, what's going on?"

"Dad's given us a gift."

Matt took it and turned it over in his hands, inspecting it closely, "…Looks like it's been made from recycled kitchen sponges."

"It's a piece of TARDIS coral, dear."

The Doctor stood up and held out his open palm to the younger man, "My daughter seems to trust you, and I can't say I'm not pleased that I'm going to be a grandfather." he pulled the boy in closer as he took his hand, "You'll look after them or you'll answer to me."

Matt gulped, his shadowed eyes wide, "Dads are the same throughout the universe, huh?"

The Doctor pulled back and shook his hand, smiling jokingly, "You'd better believe it, lad."

* * *

"Do you think that maybe I'm too overprotective?" the Doctor said, sinking under the covers and staring at the ceiling.

"You've lost _all_ your daughters in some way; I'd be worried if you weren't."

The Doctor turned on his side, resting his elbow on the pillow as he faced him, "Yeah, but you weren't saying anything. What do you think of this boy? He's working at Torchwood so we know he has some brains, and he obviously has no problems getting Jenny pregnant…"

The Master sighed, taking off his glasses and placing them on the bedside table with his book, "He breathes bowties, so we know he's a tosser."

"Hey! Bowties can be very sexy." the Doctor admonished.

The Master contemplated this, eventually nodding, "I remember you wearing one on our wedding day."

"You were wearing one too."

"Donna threatened me with one of her high heels."

"Why should we blame our friends for everything? I _also_ remember we couldn't wait to get each other into bed."

The Master laughed, "Is this you trying to seduce me?"

"Maybe." the Doctor said, pouting.

"You're getting soppy in your old age." and then the Master pulled him in for a kiss, and suddenly bowties didn't matter.

* * *

Their first visit back to New Gallifrey had revealed that the planet had completed the terraforming process, and Time Lords and TARDISes were popping everywhere.

"Smart planet; it even creates a new population. Do you think this is our empire, after everything?"

The Master nodded, "A clean slate that _we_ can mould an entire species upon."

All three triplets, now five years old, were looking up at them expectantly, "Tell us another story!" the youngest, Sarah Jane, exclaimed.

Both boys nodded, "The one about the ghosts!"

Both parents shared a look, and the Master sighed, "Is it wise to be cramming their heads with all this nonsense?"

The Doctor sat back on an armrest of the chair he was sitting in, dangling his legs over the other as his expression turned thoughtful, "They're old enough to travel all the way here with us, and that adventure is _also_ their birthday."

"What's got you so 'Mr Grumpy Face'?" Amelia walked in, thirteen years of age, and sat down next to the boys.

"They won't tell us the one about the ghosts!" Jack and Timothy both became sour-faced while Sarah Jane only glanced at her two brothers exasperatedly.

"That's a daft one; it's mostly the day you lot were born. Wouldn't you prefer to hear something like 'Snow White and the Seven Keys to Doomsday'?"

All three children's eyes lit up at the suggestion, "Yes please!"

* * *

Inside Stormcage, a woman appeared, "Nice of you to visit, big sis."

"This isn't a social call." she removed a sonic device from her jacket, using it to unlock the cell door, and threw a gauntlet on the other woman's lap, "Do you know what this is?"

River's grin widened, "Lord Rassilon's favourite accessory – daddy told me allot about this. Why should I care that you have it?"

"The stories say, he bequeathed it to the first born Time Lady of a new age. That would be you, since Amelia wasn't born a Time Lady and I wasn't born, _period_."

"Daddy said not to tell lies, but mummy did it all the time – our parents had different views on the right ways to raise their children."

"Why do I feel you're stalling?" Jenny said, rolling her eyes.

"What daddy and mummy say are two completely different things, but we could not have one without the other." River persisted, handing the gauntlet back to Jenny, "You'd better make a run for it; the daily inspection is coming in a few minutes and they'll think I've hired an accomplice."

Jenny's eyes narrowed exasperatedly, "You could escape from here a million times over with this gauntlet; why are you refusing?"

"These days, our timelines are running parallel to each other, and just think on that; the gauntlet will come in handy at some point, but for now I think I'll pass, and please don't insult my intelligence – I've _already_ escaped from this place a million times over."

"You're a prisoner." Jenny said, putting the gauntlet back into interdimensionally transcendent pockets, and pulling River's hands into her own, "What put you here?"

"I killed a good man; someone you should know, but it doesn't do to dwell on my past. Think on your own future." she pushed a few buttons on Jenny's vortex manipulator before she could protest, and sent her on her way.

"River Song?"

River looked forward and saw one of the new recruits, "Call me by my _name_, please."

"I haven't become privy to that kind of information yet, Miss Song."

She got up and stalked over to the guard, "I was named after my deceased aunt – nice woman, wouldn't end up in some place like this even if you paid her. She's probably bookmarked in human history, somewhere in the early 21st century, as a great help to allot of passing alien species and had a small part-time job as saviour of Earth…" she went in close to his ear, nearly silent as she said, "…Do you know what _her_ name was?"

"It's most likely classified, Miss, if she was a part of–"

"Her name was Sarah Jane Smith." she cocked her head away in mock awe, "Yes, that was it. Do you know what she handed down to little ol' me after she died?" she stepped back and slipped a golden tube from her belt, removing the lid and applying the red substance to her mouth, "A very nice lipstick! Just so you know. I would have preferred something I could actually use, but auntie Sarah was never one for grand gestures."

The guard faltered, finally assuming the lack of any threat, "Very good, Miss… Smith." he walked out of the cell and locked the doors, going back the way he'd came in a bewildered huff.

She laughed once anyone was out of earshot, "Newbies; they always get me monologuing." She rolled the lipstick up as far as it would go, and assessed its sonic controls, "Looks like this one… here!" a light flashed red, and she resisted the urge to shout in joy, "and big sisters, always good for smuggling in an escape tool. This must be my lucky day!"

The doors clinked open, and she grimaced at the sound of several pairs of booted feet plodding her way, "Or maybe not!"

**A/N:** Is that a happy ending…? You guys be the judge, I'm just happy because it ties in somewhat with the events of series 5/6 without sounding totally unlike this actual fic. It's also very vague and open-ended! Which is what I was hoping for, especially if it had that added Moffat cliffhanger effect.

I can't believe it, but it's over! …Can I say I need a hug?

I've started writing a little threequel – it's a Harry Potter crossover, which I'm sorry to say, but probably just because it's my first time writing anything remotely Harry Potter themed. It's a new experience! I've been rewatching the movies over a couple of weekends, and I'm already partway into the third chapter [of the threequel] so if anyone enjoys Harry Potter as much as I and my reviewers enjoy Doctor Who, it might work. I've shown most of it to my feedback lady already and she loves it! I can't believe I've never written any Harry Potter fanfiction before, but I await the internet's verdict on the idea. If you guys don't like it or think that if I were to do a threequel it should just be Doctor Who, I'll probably carry on writing it anyway as a little guilty pleasure. I still need a title, though; anything you lot are willing to suggest would be helpful.

Oh, and happy 3 days 'til Valentines Day! I know the whole Valentines Day part of this chapter was pretty lax, but I've never been very good at the holidays, especially one wherein the only thing I've ever done is make my mum a card. I think that tradition stopped when I was something like 12, so Valentines Day has never really been high on my list of priorities.


	44. Fare de well, for now

I think I meed to set some things straight, and others completely correct if they're not jokes. I'll hope to remove this comment after you've all got it, if all goes well. At least I already had a new document open… Just to be clear, I'll be putting every response with the person who brought that thing up.

**To Chellus – who I'm really loving at the mo':**

I was worried their might be some confusion within the ranks, and I can never be sure if you're kidding, but if you're not you may want to read the last chapter over, see that _Jenny_ is dating Matt, and I can assure you that little Rory and Amelia will be getting together sooner rather than later… see, you always get my brain whirring! That's what a serious reviewer does. And loved the joke, which is surprisingly one I've never heard.

**To The Challenge Master – loving the username, by the way:**

A sequel is the second in a saga, so a threequel (a term I made up myself) is the third. Hope that's cleared everything up! I was actually waiting for someone to question it, so it's a huge weight off my mind. And don't worry, I always confuse myself with the stuff I write; it's nothing new that somebody else should be staring awkwardly at my boat. Hope you get well soon! I myself am always falling ill with some nonsense, so I know how you feel.

**To hana-to-mame – I have no serious words… seriously:**

Company compatriot – I just feel that title fits – ,fellow Whovian and dear devoted buddy o' mine, don't ever change! From your slightly vague reviews to your writing which has successfully moved me from pillar to post (And which I've started re-reading, btw)… I tried to make your dream my own, and though I don't really know your verdict on my Harry Potter crossover idea, I'll even try to make that live up to your expectations, because from the moment I started reading OoD you raised a very high bar, my friend, and I really hope you get your internet back permanently at some point.

Now, this really is me just speaking to all my readers, if there are any… I can't make head nor tail of the stats page anymore so I have no idea.

This story has really been a journey, if not for the readers or the characters then for me personally. Part of me thinks I've become better as a writer through this story, and another part thinks that even though I haven't watched much Doctor Who recently and I've been doing a helluva lot more reading fanfiction than writing it, I'm… where was I going with this? Anyway, it's been fun, and how I've actually been able to keep up any train of thought throughout it is the big achievement. I love you guys! And in so many months I don't think I've ever felt so weirdly loved back.

With now over 50 reviews, 8.5 thousand words and nearly 7000 hits, I bit you a fond adieu… until next time! Hopefully with Potterness! A term that I'm sure I didn't invent.


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